


Turnabout Adoption

by WrightFamilyAgency (Unicornfoal)



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series, Layton Kyouju vs Gyakuten Saiban | Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family Fluff, Gen, Maya Fey - Freeform, Pearl Fey - Freeform, Pre-Phoenix Wright/Maya Fey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-26 06:36:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 54
Words: 111,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9871814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unicornfoal/pseuds/WrightFamilyAgency
Summary: August, 2019. Post-disbarment, Phoenix Wright is still investigating the secrets of the Gramarye family while caring for his new daughter Trucy. Meanwhile, Luke Triton is moving to California with his parents, only for things to go drastically wrong just as they arrive.Apollo Justice has no idea what is coming for him.Revised re-upload of 'Luke and Apollo Wright', the 2019 chapters. Spoilers for every game of both series.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Luke and Apollo Wright](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4033003) by [WrightFamilyAgency (Unicornfoal)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unicornfoal/pseuds/WrightFamilyAgency). 



Night.

 

The road was quiet, a winding asphalt path barely two lanes wide through the trees high in the mountains. To the east, a black desert under the starless night. To the west, the lights of the city reflected against the teeming sea. Here, the forest was still, even the animals hiding deep in their burrows or fleeing to calmer climes elsewhere on the slopes.

Something approached. A small car, only a puttering engine and the twin pricks of its headlights marking its location in the dark.

"I still think it was a strange request."

"You went along with it, dear. Were quite happy to, as I recall."

"Yes, but why were they so set on the possibility you'd turn them down at the paperwork stage? And why insist we not adjust to the timezone? It's just... odd."

"Darling, you've had months to question this."

The passenger in the front seat sighed, her hand fiddling with a beaded bracelet on her wrist. "I guess it didn't hit me how dangerous this was until we were driving in the middle of the night on the wrong side of the road in a car that's the wrong way around..."

The driver rolled his eyes, hands gripping the steering wheel. "That's probably why they made that suggestion, then. It gives us time to get used to driving here without the danger of anyone getting hurt."

The passenger hummed in reluctant agreement, then turned to look at the back seat: A sleeping boy, barely a teenager, slumped against the window, a teddy bear clutched tightly in his arms. "At least the hotel's not far now." She smiled. "It'll just be the two of us awake, I'm afraid."

Chuckling, the driver shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak, only to jerk in shock, foot slamming on the brake. "What the-!?"

"Clark-!?"

A black mass on the road beared down on the small car, shining spotlights that obscured everything around them.

A squeal of tires. A crash.

The road was quiet.


	2. Call From England

_"What strange sight doth mine eyes behold!"_

_"Excuse me?"_

_"Two men on either side of a single transparent pane, yet it seems fickle Fate has switched sides, so to speak! The forger of fakes walks freely, while the innocent languishes within these flexiglass confines."_

_"There's been no proof that I forged anything."_

_"Nor proof that I took the life of my dear mentor."_

_"..."_

_"Yet... these chains cannot hold me for long. The stage awaits! And what, may I ask, awaits you?"_

 

August 26, 3:02PM  
Summer Boulevard Elementary School  
Front Gate

 

Lingering in the crowds outside the small school was a dishevelled man in a hoodie, pulling a cyan beanie down tight over his eyebrows. He wasn't very remarkable to look at, average height and build for someone in his mid-twenties, except for the fact he looked like a hobo in the sea of respectably dressed parents, who parted to let him pass with crinkled noses and dirty looks. He made no move to suggest he noticed the reaction of the crowd, keeping his eyes firmly ahead of him as he headed towards the gate. Above all, he was trying to remain incognito.

Besides, who would ever recognise the famous blue-suited, spiky-haired former lawyer under that loose hoodie and brightly coloured hat?

"Daddy!"

Phoenix Wright grinned as he leaned down to grab the seven-year-old catapulting herself towards him, picking her up like a sack of potatoes as her arms wrapped tight around his neck. "Hey, kiddo! I take it you had fun today?"

The girl giggled, nodding enthusiastically. She leaned back in her father's grip, propped up against his shoulders. "How was your secret mission today?"

Laughing, Phoenix turned and headed back out of the crowds, the way he had come. "Nice try, Trucy. It's a _secret_ mission for a reason."

Trucy pouted. "Aw..."

Phoenix lowered the girl to the pavement, then took her hand in his, the pair walking together. "I think I got a few answers, though. Still questions left, but I'm confident I can sort them all out tomorrow. What about you? How was your first day back at school?"

The girl at his side hummed in thought, her free hand playing with the buttons on her new blouse. "It was good." She grinned, tugging on Phoenix's arm. "Oh, Daddy! I have to tell you about this game we were playing in recess! Did you know about the cursed road up in the mountains?"

Phoenix rolled his eyes. "The aptly-named Forest Road? The one said to be possessed by a demon?"

Not seeing his reaction, Trucy simply nodded. "Yeah, that one. My friend Sophia said a giant lives there, and, last night, it grabbed two cars like they were toys and smashed them into each other!"

"Ah yes, I heard there was another mysterious accident up there," Phoenix mused, then gave his daughter a stern look. "Last I saw, four people lost their lives this time. Not exactly a subject you should be joking about."

"That's what Ms Joiner said too." Trucy huffed. "She made us stop playing giants because of it."

Phoenix couldn't resist a chuckle. "I'm not surprised. That road's been attracting unusual accidents like this one for four years now. A friend of mine used to say they'd have to exorcise it to stop them."

Trucy screwed up her nose, looking up at her father. "Why'd they need to exercise the road?"

Resisting the urge to snort, Phoenix shook his head. "No, _exorcise_ : Getting rid of demons." When Trucy frowned in thought, he continued, "Of course, my friend used to think the best way to exorcise something was to sic the Steel Samurai on it, so we probably shouldn't listen to her. Not that I know how a guy in a metal suit with nothing more than a spear and a horse is supposed to stop a supernatural entity."

Trucy giggled. "The Steel Samurai is a _kids show_ , Daddy!"

"Then why do I know more about it than you?" Phoenix replied, grinning. "You clearly need to watch more TV, Trucy."

With the one remaining light of his life laughing at his side, Phoenix Wright headed for home.

 

* * *

 

_Aug 26, 2019_

_Visited Valant Gramarye in the detention center. Was very tight-lipped, as expected. He said himself the outcome of the trial has been good to him (not aware of the rumors maybe?) and he intends to return to the spotlight once released. Insists Zak's disappearance as good as a signed confession. I asked about Magnifi's blackmail, but ultimately could not break all his Psyche-Locks. All I have is a theory, that Magnifi's daughter Thalassa was killed during the Shootem trick, leading to its cancellation and Magnifi's hold over his disciples. I clearly need more evidence to convince Valant to open up, so I headed to the library to research the Gramaryes some more. With a little digging, this time I found something on Thalassa that wasn't about Troupe Gramarye as a whole, though it's not much: "Gramarye Daughter Leaves Troupe" in case file. It's only a gossip item, but the possibility Thalassa had a husband before Zak and a child before Trucy is intriguing. I wish I had a firmer source to know what happened for sure. With the promotional images of the Troupe I gathered today, I hope to see Valant again tomorrow to break those Psyche-Locks once and for all._

 

_GRAMARYE DAUGHTER LEAVES TROUPE  
11 October 2003_

_LONDON - The only daughter of well known magician Magnifi Gramarye, Thalassa Gramarye (18), has left Troupe Gramarye today, a source says. Long-time guest performer Hyperion Reylu (18) has left with her, lending credence to the rumours the two are romantically involved. Could a Gramarye grandchild be on the way already? Sources say The Grand Magnifi is tight-lipped, but given his family ties to the Northern European country of Borginia, it is surely no coincidence that the young couple were last seen heading there from Heathrow International Airport yesterday. Stay tuned, for an announcement of a Gramarye Successor is surely coming soon!_

_Pictured: Thalassa Gramarye, showing off her family heirloom bracelets  
Picture credit: Zak Gramarye_

 

* * *

 

The office hadn't changed all that much since the Wright & Co Law Offices shut down and the Wright Talent Agency opened in its place. Following the stairs from the street below led Phoenix and Trucy to the new sign that had just come in, proudly screwed to the wall by the front door. Inside, the reception was as bare as it had always been, with Phoenix's former desk immediately on the left, Mia's old coat-rack in the corner, and even Maya's aging second-hand piano gathering dust against the opposite wall. Spare bookshelves held some of Mia's older law books, in addition to more recently added magic books owned by Trucy. Opposite the windows was still the pale patch of wall where the abomination Mia called art had once hung and Phoenix had never got around to replacing (though he'd taken great pleasure in burning it a few weeks after taking over the office). Next to the piano, a small desk had been taken over by Trucy, piled high with notebooks for both school and play. Posters of Troupe Gramarye, her birth family, were taped to the wall all around it, and her decorations had even spread to the piano, with the sepia-toned portrait of a young Zak Gramarye Phoenix had put together as a welcoming gift taking pride of place on top.

Through the door and into the office itself, even less had changed. Bookshelves still lined the walls, and the desk that had been Phoenix's for three years now sat nestled by the door through to the apartment beyond. The poster of that movie that no-one could ever remember the name of still hung on the wall next to Charley, by the windows that looked up at the Gatewater Hotel across the street. Nestled in the corner opposite the poster was the small hand-me-down TV Maya had brought in, which the single black couch firmly faced. The wooden low table sat in the middle of the room, Trucy's plastic spaghetti on one side and the office phone sat in the middle where Phoenix could most easily ignore it.

That was the problem with so little changing since the opening of the Talent Agency in the place of the Law Office: Both used the same contact details, so, ever since his disbarment five months previous, very little of the calls they received were actually related to hiring either their young resident magician or the pretending pianist that had adopted her, and it was the same story for any physical visitors that dropped by. Worst of all were the calls meant only for Phoenix: The press had long since stopped bugging him for statements, but that hadn't stopped the occasional angry nutjob throwing insults down the line for the Forgin' Attorney. Once he'd plugged the phone back in after the initial horror of the disbarment, he'd forbidden Trucy from ever answering it should it ring.

Trucy had taken the lead, skipping ahead with her school-bag bouncing on her back, but paused as she passed the low table. "Hey Daddy, the phone's flashing."

 _(Oh crap.)_ Phoenix felt the anxiety creeping up his spine and had to resist the urge to tug his beanie further down over his hair. "Sure. You head on to your room and I'll check it out."

The girl nodded, and obediently walked through into the kitchen, closing the door behind her.

Left alone, Phoenix could only stare at the phone, frozen in place. The flashing screen meant there were missed calls, possibly voicemails. _(C'mon Phoenix, get over yourself. They're probably perfectly innocent. Just... Just pick up the phone and check it out already. Get it over with.)_ As much as he wished otherwise, the reality was that Phoenix had the unfortunate benefit of experience to know his self-directed tirades were nothing compared to some of the things he'd heard over the past five months from that same phone. _(Yet another reason to be thankful I kept my cell number private... and unlisted.)_   It took every ounce of his strength, and several mental kicks up the backside, to force himself to step forward and kneel by the low table. The screen read '5 missed calls, 1 voicemail'. Gathering every bit of his courage, Phoenix pressed the button to listen to his message.

 _You have, one, voicemail message. Message received, today, one PM._  
_BEEP  
_ _"Mister Wright, this is Hershel Layton. I apologise for calling at an inconvenient time. I would continue trying to call back to reach you in person, but it's getting late in the evening and I'd prefer this message get to you as soon as it possibly can, regardless of how."_

Phoenix's fears melted away with a sigh of relief. "Professor..." It had been a while since he last heard from his friend in England. _(What on earth was so urgent you called five times before resorting to leaving a message instead?)_

_"I'm assuming my last letter to you has arrived, but if not, Luke and his parents have moved to America, to Los Angeles, and in fact should have arrived yesterday or today. Clark and Brenda, that's Luke's parents, were rather hurried leaving, so I didn't get their new address until they mailed it to me the other day, and I wanted to pass it on to you. I told Brenda I would, should they end up near any friends of mine."_

There was a pause. Phoenix scratched his cheek with a thoughtful frown. "Luke's here...?" He reached into his pocket, ready to take notes.

_"I'm afraid I must ask you a favour, at this short notice. Could you possibly find the time to drop in on the Tritons as they settle in to their new home? Clark and Brenda were both looking forward to it, but Luke has been harbouring doubts about this move from the beginning. I know he would most appreciate having a friend there to reassure him. Again, I am sorry about this short notice, and I understand if you can't make the time to see him."_

Phoenix smiled, hands already unlocking the computer tablet in his hands. "It would be a pleasure to see Luke again, Professor."

_"One final thing... Luke hasn't read your last letter to us. It... arrived at a rather inconvenient time. As far as I know, he isn't aware of all that's happened to you since April. It will probably prove a rather nasty shock."_

Phoenix's smile died.

_"But, if you can, please do drop by and visit them. Their address is eighteen-forty-six Poseidon Street. Hopefully, by the time you hear this, they'll already be there."_

Biting his lip, Phoenix hurried to write the address down.

_"Until we next speak, Mister Wright. Please keep an eye on Luke for me."_

 

[View the Court Record](http://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/157645424219/tumblr_olvfc23apk1uwes7q)


	3. New Home

August 26, 5:43PM  
Poseidon Street

 

"What was your friend's name again?"

"Luke Triton. He'd be... maybe fourteen by now. It's been almost an entire year since we met."

Trucy hummed in thought, skipping at her father's side with her cape flapping behind her. Once she'd heard what Phoenix's call had been about, she had wasted no time changing out of her school uniform and into her magician's outfit, with the excuse "I have to make a good impression, Daddy!" on her lips. Phoenix had to admit, the skirt of her sleeveless black dress was shortest out of all her clothes, so it was probably more comfortable in the typical Californian heat. On the other hand, her boots reached up to her knees, far further than the shoes and socks she wore to school. The pinkish-red top hat on her head and matching cape pinned over her shoulders made her quite the sight, and she patted the heart-shaped bag hanging off her hip with a self-important air. "I'll give him one of our new fliers! He can come see my show at the Wonder Bar on Saturday!"

Phoenix chuckled. _(Magic? After Labyrinthia, Luke might not appreciate seeing_ that _kind of show...)_ "We'll see. Why'd you bring so many, anyway?"

Trucy scoffed. "C'mon Daddy, we need to spread the word about our Talent Agency! We can leave the spares in people's mailboxes as we go!"

Phoenix settled for simply marvelling at how business-savvy his little magician already was at such a young age, clutching her gloved hand firmly in his.

Turning her attention to said mailboxes, Trucy began to read them aloud. "Eighteen thirty-eight... Eighteen forty... Eighteen forty-two... Are we close yet?"

"Eighteen forty-six." Phoenix's eyes settled on the blue house just ahead, which he pointed out to his daughter. In front stood a policewoman and a civilian, quietly and insistently bickering between themselves as they gestured at the building nearby.

_(That's not good...)_

His grip on Trucy's hand tightening, Phoenix sped his feet down the pavement as quickly as he dared, listening carefully for when the hushed voices would become legible.

"But I sold this house to them and they promised to be here!"

"It's not like people schedule their deaths, ma'am."

" _Some_ people do!"

For the second time that day, Phoenix felt his blood run cold. He hurried closer.

"Ma'am, I assure you, this one _wasn't_."

"Like you'd know! Just tell me where they are! I _need_ this sale to go through today!"

"I _do_ know, ma'am. I'm assigned to their case."

"Were they murdered?"

The two women jumped as they registered Phoenix's question, meeting his determined glare with wide eyes. The officer was the first to recover, brushing a lock of her bright pink hair behind an ear. "Please move along, sir. This has nothing to do with you."

"But this is eighteen-forty-six Poseidon Street, isn't it?" Phoenix pressed. "The Triton family are supposed to be here. I'm a friend of theirs. If something's happened to them-"

"You're a friend of the Tritons?" The civilian woman grinned wide as she interrupted Phoenix's impassioned speech. "So, you're here to handle the payment for this house, right? See, we made an agreement and they haven't arrived yet-"

The officer sighed, waving the woman off. She turned to Phoenix. "I'm sorry, sir. The Tritons sadly both passed away last night."

Trucy gasped at Phoenix's side, a hand to her mouth. "They died last night?"

Phoenix pulled himself out of his shock, holding up a hand. "W-wait, wait... 'Both'?"

"Obviously, Mister and Missus Triton," the civilian woman replied, rolling her eyes. "Highly inconvenient of them, too."

Phoenix ignored her. "But there are _three_ people in the Triton family. If it's the parents who are dead... Does that mean Luke's still alive somewhere?"

The officer could only shake her head with a grimace. "I'm sorry sir, I'm not privy to the details. I was just told Mister and Missus Triton were both dead. I'm only here out of courtesy, on behalf of Detective Gumshoe."

"Gumshoe?" A grin spread across Phoenix's face. "Perfect. I'll go talk to him, then."

"Sir?"

Phoenix spun around, gently pulling Trucy along at his side. "Don't worry, Trucy, we'll introduce you to Luke before you know it!"

Trucy just smiled, skipping after him. "Okay, Daddy!"

"Wait!" the woman called, waving after the Wrights. "But who's taking this house!?"

 

August 26, 7:24AM  
LA General Hospital

 

The last thing he remembered was the vibration of the car engine against his cheek where it pressed to the window, and his parents' quiet conversation in the front seat.

"Feel free to go to sleep, Luke. We'll be in Los Angeles by the time you wake up."

After that was a screeching noise, "Are you okay in there?", flashing red and blue, "Do you know where you are?", a glaring white.

The next time Luke opened his eyes, he had no idea where he was.

Squinting against the light, Luke shook his aching head. _(No. I'm in a hospital. There was a car accident. They tell me that every time they wake me up.)_

Slowly, the previous night started coming back to him. Paramedics had pulled him from the mangled car and taken him here. He'd hit his head, so they had him under observation and were checking on him frequently, too frequently for him to get much sleep, which explained why he still felt shattered and numb all these hours later. _(At least my head isn't hurting as bad anymore. I probably won't ever fully remember last night, though.)_ It was a struggle to think, but the fact that he had woken normally was enough of a cue that Luke was sure he'd finally been left alone. _(Maybe it's time I figured out what's going on.)_

He opened his eyes again.

A white ceiling above. Curling the fingers of his hands, Luke was pretty sure he was lying in a bed, judging by the blanket under his right hand. His left arm was resting on his chest, and felt constricted and numb. His shoulders were similarly locked in place, forced back as far as they would go. His entire left arm was only barely capable of movement, aching most prominently at the shoulder and along the forearm, and only his fingers and the ball joint at his shoulder weren't restricted by anything but the niggling pain. Being careful to use only his right hand, he experimentally patted up and down his head and upper body: His chest similarly ached, though it didn't impair his breathing, and the left side of his neck and cheek seemed to have band-aids stuck over them. His cap was missing, and he quickly discovered after running his hand through his hair that it seemed to be the left side of his skull that had struck the inside of the car in the crash.

_(I think I'm detecting a pattern...)_

Luke dragged himself into a sitting position. It occurred to him it had been the left window he'd been sleeping against back in the car. _(I must have been thrown violently against the window. That makes sense.)_ He pressed a hand to the bandage at his neck. _(The seatbelt was pressed to my face and neck, so those paired with the chest pain certainly suggest the seatbelt protected me from the violent stop. I would probably find it much harder to breathe if my ribcage had been injured, though.)_ He frowned, visually assessing his legs stretched out under the blue blanket before him: They seemed okay, but he made sure to wriggle his toes just to be sure, and they didn't feel numb like his shoulder or arm. Said left arm, he was not surprised to find, was encased in white plaster from wrist to elbow, locked at a right angle with his wrist straight, and a sling tied it securely around his neck for support. _(I seem to have a broken arm. I suppose I snapped it against the window. I_ was _holding it kind of funny. That'll teach me to try and sleep in a moving car, I suppose.)_ With great difficulty, he was able to move his right hand up to feel around his upper back, and discovered the source of his restricted shoulders was some kind of looped figure-eight strap wrapped around his shoulders and connected at his spine. _(But what is this about? My left shoulder hurts... Are they related?)_ He sighed. _(I guess I'll have to ask whenever someone next comes to check on me. I wonder where Mum and Dad are?)_

It was only now Luke thought to look beyond his bed, not that there was much to see. The little area around him was encased in the green shroud of a curtain hanging from the ceiling, keeping the rest of the room from Luke's sight. Although it was frustrating, Luke supposed he should expect such a thing from a hospital. _(I wonder if they put me in a children's ward? Mum and Dad won't be nearby in that case.)_ Throwing his blanket off, the boy slipped off the bed and onto the off-white laminate floor, which felt chilly against his bare feet. A wave of dizziness overcame him, forcing him to pause to regain his balance, though it took him longer than he liked before he felt safe releasing his hand from the white sheets of the mattress. _(I just got up too fast. I'm okay.)_ It was only as he started to move again he realised he was, naturally, no longer in the clothes he'd been wearing back in the car, and instead in a pair of clean white pyjamas that most certainly did not belong to him. _(Better than nothing, I suppose?)_ Clutching his broken arm, ignoring the pain in his head, he slowly made his way towards the gap in the curtains.

"Oh!"

Luke jumped back with a cry, finding himself suddenly face to face with a nurse, her hand clutching the green fabric she had pulled aside just as he'd reached it. She wasn't familiar, so he supposed she was new, probably at the start of her shift. He stuttered a moment. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there!"

The nurse laughed, a hand pressed to her chest. "Well, that _is_ the point of the curtains." She stepped into the 'room', shoving the curtain closed at her back. "You're awake, I see. Did you want to get back into bed, little mister?"

 _(Not particularly... though I think my legs are saying otherwise.)_ Ever careful of being a gentleman, Luke only gave the nurse a polite smile and slowly headed back to the cot. _(Well, if you're here to check on me, I may as well pre-emptively answer some of your questions.)_ "I was going to see if I could find my parents. We were in a car accident, so I guess they'll be in this hospital too, won't they?"

The nurse pulled back the blanket on the bed, a thoughtful frown on her face. "Your parents?"

Luke nodded. "Clark and Brenda Triton." He pulled himself back onto the cot, a surprisingly difficult feat without the help of his left arm. "My name's Luke. We were moving here to Los Angeles, but our car crashed while I was sleeping last night. Maybe you could send them a message for me? Let my mum and dad know I'm alright?"

The nurse continued to frown, pulling the blanket back over Luke's legs. "I'll... see what I can do." She stood straight and gave him a bright grin. "And welcome to Los Angeles! Though a car accident like this one isn't much of a welcome to your new home, is it?"

Luke giggled.

The nurse moved to the end of the bed, where Luke noticed she was examining a clipboard hanging there. "You're thirteen? More mature than most." She shot the boy another smile. "Didn't even need me to check on your recovery. You seem to be healing from that concussion nicely."

"I don't remember most of last night still," Luke explained with a shrug, "but I remember being woken up a lot." He rubbed at his eyes with his free hand, feeling the exhaustion still hounding him. "I know I'm alright. Mum and Dad will probably be worrying about me, though."

The nurse's smile suddenly seemed very tight. "I'll go find... um..." She laughed nervously, shrugged, then retreated back through the curtains.

Luke frowned. _(What was_ that _about?)_ Sighing, he leaned back against the pillow, eyes drifting closed again. _(Doesn't matter. As long as Mum and Dad know I'm okay.)_

 

[View the Court Record](http://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/157729399904/tumblr_olza3fXWDN1uwes7q)


	4. Terrible Truth

August 26, 9:03AM  
LA General Hospital

 

"Hey there, pal! You awake?"

Luke looked up, pulling himself into a sitting position on the bed. A head was poking through the curtains, belonging to an older man, maybe in his thirties. Dark hair stuck straight up at the front above an excitable grin and a battered trench coat, his face framed on one side by a band aid on his cheek and on the other by a red pencil behind his ear. Luke tried to shrug in reply to the strange man's question, only to remember his shoulders were strapped rather firmly in place. Instead, he mumbled, "Um... I wasn't _asleep_..."

Chuckling, the man slipped into the 'room', tugging the curtains closed behind him. He paused as he noticed the teddy bear at Luke's side and the small satchel resting on the chair. "I see they got you your stuff! Hope I got everything of yours from the car, pal. It was hard to tell what was what, if you know what I mean."

Luke shrugged, his right hand picking at the sling holding his left. "My suitcase isn't here. It's pretty big, so it might be with my mum and dad. We can sort it out once we see each other." _(Not that having my stuff helps if I'm not allowed to read or write to heal from this concussion... Probably wouldn't be able to concentrate through the headache, anyway.)_

"Oh, uh..." The man suddenly seemed nervous, scratching at the back of his head. "Th-that..." He sighed, eyes on the floor. "That's... not gonna happen, pal."

For a moment, all Luke could do was stare. "What...? What do you mean?"

The man stuttered for a moment, then forced a grin and held open the side of his coat. "Hey, you wanna see my gun?"

Immediately Luke was throwing himself away from the strange man, scrambling to get as far away as he could without falling off the bed. "You have a gun!?"

"No no, it's okay!" The man hurriedly closed his trench coat, pointing at himself with both hands. "I'm a detective, pal! It's to stop bad guys with!"

It took Luke a moment to process that, staring at the man from his perch on the opposite side of the mattress. "De...?"

The detective sighed. "Let's start over." He smiled, holding out a hand. "Detective Dick Gumshoe. Your name's Luke, isn't it?"

Hesitantly, Luke nodded, reaching out to shake Gumshoe's hand. _(I knew the police carried guns here, but... They allow those things into hospitals!?)_

Gumshoe seemed to consider Luke's trust won, and moved the satchel on the chair to the bed so he could sit down. "I came to talk to you about last night, actually. Do you know what happened, pal?"

Luke rested a hand on his arm cast. "I don't remember anything, but I know I was in a car accident. My injuries seem consistent with that."

"Oh?" Gumshoe seemed impressed. "You a little detective yourself, there?"

Luke again tried to shrug, only to be foiled by the strap on his shoulders. "It wasn't that hard to figure out. The last thing I remember is going to sleep in the car, then I woke up in this hospital with injuries appropriate for a car accident. I have no reason to suspect the staff are lying about it either." He frowned, staring at his lap, and asked in a quiet voice, "Can I see my mum and dad now?"

The detective grunted, scratching the back of his head again. "Um... I... can't do that. I'm sorry."

"Why not?" Luke demanded, meeting the man's eyes with a fierce glare. "Why can't I see my parents?"

Gumshoe sighed, avoiding eye contact. "They're... They're gone, pal. Nobody can see 'em no more."

For a long, terrifying moment, Luke could only stare. "Don't... _sugar-coat_ what's happened." He had to pause, gathering the courage to continue without tearing up. "Are my mum and dad... Are they dead?"

By now, Gumshoe's hands were fidgeting in his lap. "We think so."

"What does that mean?"

Gumshoe hesitated before admitting, "We don't actually know for sure."

Luke couldn't help a frustrated sigh hearing that, and it was an effort to retain at least the veneer of politeness through his distress. "And what does _that_ mean? How can you not know?"

"Because they disappeared, pal." Gumshoe finally met Luke's gaze, dark eyes full of sorrow. "By the time we arrived on the scene, the only person left in those cars was you. We're still trying to track down whoever was in the other car, but if you can confirm it was just your parents in yours, at least that's somethin'."

Feeling the confusion settle on his face, Luke looked away, eyes narrowed. "They're... 'gone'..." He met Gumshoe's eyes again. "But why would they have left the car? Have left _me_?"

"That's what I wanted to ask _you_ about, pal." Gumshoe reached into his trench coat, pulling out a small notepad. "Our current guess is they wandered off into the forest looking for help."

"Forest?" Despite his confusion, Luke shook his head. "But that doesn't make any sense. What about this other car? Mum or Dad would have made sure there was someone waiting at the scene if they were going into a forest looking for help."

Gumshoe shrugged, pulling the pencil from behind his ear to jot something down on his notepad. "Your guess is as good as mine, pal. We've never come up with a more plausible reason for _any_ of these things."

It took Luke a good few seconds to pick up on the implication in the detective's wording, and he decided to blame the delay on the concussion. "This accident only happened last night, didn't it?"

"Yup." Gumshoe leaned back in the chair, slipping his pencil back behind an ear. "Every time another one happens, they assign a new detective. Tryin' to see if a new set of eyes uncovers anythin' this time."

Luke frowned. "Every time a car crashes?"

"Every time a car crashes on Forest Road in the middle of the night." Gumshoe sighed, waving a hand. "You're just the latest in a long line, pal, same as me. Always empty cars, any rare survivors never remember a thing about it. Usually kids like you, too. Never uncovered a lead that ever went anywhere."

Luke looked away, clutching the cast on his arm tightly with his right hand. Everything he had learned from this detective was taking its time to process through his head, and he still felt he couldn't quite believe it, concussion or not. _(Mum and Dad... lost in a forest. Vanished into thin air. No wonder he thinks they're...)_ Unable to finish the thought, he pressed his free hand to his face, struggling to contain his rapid breathing and the hot pain building at the back of his eyeballs.

"Oh, hey, it'll be okay, pal!" Gumshoe's hand landed awkwardly on Luke's shoulder, patting the boy in sympathy. "I mean, we're sure to find somethin' this time! Your mom and dad are probably still out there somewhere, y'know?"

Luke couldn't reply, too busy biting back the whine of his uncontrollable sobs.

Gumshoe removed his hand, getting to his feet and hopping from foot to foot. "Well, I'll... make sure that suitcase of yours gets to you, huh? And anythin' else we can recover from the car. I mean, legally, it all belongs to you now after all." The man took a few steps towards the curtain before pausing again. "I'll take care of everything for ya, pal. You should have a social worker seeing you today, and she, or he, will find you a place to stay in the meantime, huh?"

Luke's legs curled up underneath him. He still couldn't make himself reply.

There was a long pause, then Gumshoe's footsteps walked away, the curtain rail clinking as it moved to let him past.

_(If this is a nightmare... I want to wake up now... please...)_

 

The rest of that day passed in a blur, full of sleep and repeated cognitive tests. Luke didn't see the detective again, but plenty of nurses came in to his tiny 'room', and every one of them (plus the physical therapist who had come about Luke's broken collarbone) confirmed what Gumshoe had said. Still forbidden from reading or writing, all Luke had left to do was lie in bed and cry.

In the afternoon, another visitor came to Luke's room, someone else who wasn't hospital staff. He introduced himself as Innes Constantin, an aging man in a cardigan who was to act as Luke's social worker in the state care system.

"State care?"

Constantin nodded. "In the absence of any parents or guardians, you enter the care of the state. Foster care, in other words."

Luke wasn't sure what to say to that, his only free hand tightening its grip on the blanket over his legs.

"Your doctor says strict rest for a week, so I've found you a nice local family to look after you until you're well enough to go to school." Constantin pulled a small notebook from his pocket, flipping it open to study one of the pages. "The... Bonneys, that's right." He met Luke's eyes again. "I'm briefing them on proper care for you until school starts."

Luke frowned, the man's choice of words bugging him. "Um... Why would they not be looking after me once I start school?"

Constantin scoffed. "There's enough kids in the system now, and too few families willing to take them in." He wagged a finger at the boy. "I have a special school lined up for you, one that keeps your slot at the Bonneys open for another needy child."

Eyes wide, Luke recoiled a little. _(N... Needy child?)_ He decided to keep his questions as polite as the Professor would want him to be. "What do you mean by 'special' school? A boarding school?"

"That's it." Constantin shut his notebook and wriggled it back into his pocket. "Once you're better, we'll have you do the entrance exam, then you're good as gold."

Luke could only nod. Something told him that was the only real way to deal with this new social worker of his.

 

* * *

 

"Hey there, pal!"

"Detective Gumshoe, it's been a while."

"You're tellin' me! Were you having trouble talking to that Gramarye guy in the detention centre? I'm not on that case, but if you need me to-"

"No, but thank you for the offer. I was talking to Valant just earlier today, actually... and I'll need to go talk to him again at some point, finish that discussion, but something more important's come up."

"More important? Than your badge?"

"Yes... I understand you're on the Triton case?"

"Tri-? Hey! How'd you know about that, pal!?"

"The officer at their house told me. Is it true only two of them are dead?"

"Well, yeah, but... Wait, do you _know_ this family?"

"Which of them is alive then? I need to meet with them, _especially_ if it's Luke."

"U-uh... Yeah, I'm sorry, pal, it's the kid. He's all shook up from the accident, so he's in the General Hospital."

" _*sigh*_ Poor Luke... What accident is this?"

"Their car crashed. Up on Forest Road, actually."

"Really? Forest Road? ... Doesn't matter, the important thing here is Luke. Obviously it's too late to see him today, but I'll need to see him tomorrow. Do you know exactly where he's being kept?"

"Eh, good luck with seeing him tomorrow, pal. They're dischargin' 'im. I asked him all my questions, and now social services has control."

"What!? But-! _*groan*_ We need to find him, then. Luckily I have a contact in social services, too... Can I count on your help for this, Detective?"

"You got it, pal! You don't even need to ask! _*chuckle*_ You just let me know what you need, and I'm on it!"

"Thank you. I greatly appreciate anything you can do for Luke."


	5. The Bonnie Bonneys

August 27, 9:23AM  
Bonney Family Home

 

Just as the detective had promised, Luke's big suitcase found its way back to him by the time Constantin was packing everything up to leave the hospital behind them. Luke was highly grateful, as the shirt and jumper he'd worn in the crash were ripped and ruined, leaving him with nothing to wear on top otherwise. Not that it really helped, as putting anything on over the cast and around his restricted shoulders was a lengthy chore in and of itself. He was forced to ask a nurse's help to retrieve one of his shirts from the suitcase and pull the sleeve over his arm cast, balling it up around his elbow - The fact it buttoned up at the front made it easier to put on than something that would need to be slipped over his head. It was too hot to consider struggling through adding his spare jumper, though he did have his slightly older cardigan or vest if he thought he needed another layer later.

Constantin's old car puttered faithfully through the city streets and into the outer suburbs. Although he worried he would be hesitant to step back into a car after what had happened two nights previous, Luke found he didn't have any reservations about it. He sat in the back of the car, on the right side this time, staring out the window as skyscrapers turned to apartment buildings turned to squat houses with immaculate lawns. Finally, Constantin seemed to pick a street and turned off into a small avenue, pulling up against a green lawn a couple of driveways down.

Luke stared up at the house from the other side of the car window. It looked so... _normal_. Red brick, dull black shingles on the roof, a white front door with a diamond-shaped window near the top. He could even see the shimmer of blinds inside the windows.

The driver door closed behind Constantin with a thud, and the man circled the car towards the boot at the back. "Come on, Luke. Out of the car."

Although unsure at being ordered to do so, Luke pulled the handle to open the door, sliding carefully out onto the grass. Without the glass in the way, the house in front of him still looked the same. _(I'm not sure how I expected it to change, but...)_ He sighed, turning around to close the car door behind him.

Constantin pulled Luke's suitcase from the back and slammed the boot. "Let's get inside, then." Luckily for Luke, he made no attempt to make the boy carry his own bag, lugging the wheeled box up onto the grass and hopping it across the uneven surface with a grunt. Luke stuffed his teddy bear into the crook of his sling, under the strap of his satchel, and carefully followed.

The front door of the house opened when they were halfway there, and from it emerged a middle-aged black woman wearing yoga pants and a smile. "Mister Constantin!"

"Missus Bonney." Constantin grunted as he dropped the suitcase by the door.

The woman rested her hands on her hips, turning her attention to Luke and casting a critical eye over his cast. "Well. _You've_ been through the wars, haven't you?" She grinned, holding out a hand. "Willow Bonney. You can just call me Willow."

Luke gave her a polite smile, shaking the offered hand. "Luke Triton."

Willow chuckled, waving the boy towards the door behind her. "Come on in, Luke Triton. We're happy to have you."

 

Inside, Luke quickly located the living room, a pair of couches arranged around a coffee table with a TV against the wall. Sat by the window was a young woman, clearly Willow's daughter, balancing a complicated-looking text book on her lap. She shot Luke a small smile over her glasses. Luke shyly returned it.

Willow finished her discussion with Constantin outside and re-entered the house, pulling Luke's suitcase in with her. "Kerensa, you met Luke yet?"

The young woman on the couch nodded, returning her attention to her book.

Tutting to herself, Willow gestured for Luke to follow her. "C'mon, I'll show you your room."

As it turned out, Luke's new room was down the hall, past the stairs, and at the very back of the house. _(I'm guessing it was an office once, judging by the location.)_ Willow took his suitcase inside, sitting it next to a comfortable-looking bed complete with bedside table and lamp. Against the opposite wall, Luke noticed a chest of drawers and a lone chair sitting in the corner.

Willow brushed off her hands with an accomplished grin. "There. It won't be your home long, but I hope you still feel welcome here... despite Kerensa."

Luke could only smile uncomfortably. _(I don't blame her for not wanting to say hello... She looked busy.)_

Willow sat down on the chair with a long exhale, pointing Luke towards the bed. "Well. Luke. Mister Constantin briefed us on your injuries, so, don't worry, we know how to look after you."

"That's good." Luke stepped forward to the bed, sitting on the blanket. He paused only to lay his teddy against the pillow, then returned his attention to Willow, hand clutching the strap of his satchel. "He said... I'm going to a boarding school after this?"

Willow sighed. "We get a few of those, yeah. The local one's called Turner's. That's probably where you'll end up."

Luke nodded, his eyes turning downwards to his lap.

There was a very long pause before Willow spoke again. "So you're on strict physical _and_ mental rest, huh? Not allowed to run, jump, read or write?"

Luke couldn't resist a defeated whine. "Yeah... I don't know how I'm supposed to pass the time if I'm not allowed to read. And I can't write a letter back home, either."

Willow chuckled. "You're a bookworm type of kid, huh?"

"I brought my favourite books with me," Luke explained, gesturing to his suitcase. "Mum limited me to ten, from my Sherlock Holmes collection. The rest are..." He frowned. "In... the container." His brief enthusiasm faded as the likelihood struck him that he might never see the rest of his books again, nor any of his belongings that hadn't been able to fit in his travel bags.

"You mean a shipping container?" Willow sounded confused, and probably looked it too, though Luke couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze.

"Yeah. It came across the Atlantic like us and was going to cross the country by train, Dad said." Luke struggled to blink back tears of shock. "Most of our stuff was in it... Anything we couldn't carry with us. We were going to meet it once we'd settled in to our new house."

Willow shifted, then stood, crossing the room to sit at Luke's side. She pressed a hand to the boy's back, rubbing slow circles below the strap holding his shoulders in place. "Mister Constantin told us you'd come from overseas recently, but we never get the full details of situations. Privacy violations, you know? Whatever's happened, you don't have to tell us if you're not comfortable. It won't change how we treat you or anything."

Luke nodded. He sniffed once before wiping his eyes with the back of his free hand.

"Normally, this is where I offer to cheer you up with some hooping," Willow whispered conspiratorially, "but I guess that's not going to happen, huh?"

Luke frowned, looking up at the woman. "Hooping?"

"Dancing with hoops." Willow grinned. "I teach classes. And, of course, any foster kids who show an interest."

It struck Luke that he hadn't yet asked about the family whose house he was taking a room from, and he felt a rush of embarrassment for allowing himself to get caught up in the rush of every aspect of his life changing around him, the grief of everything he had lost without warning. "I'm sorry..."

"Sorry for what?" Willow shrugged, still smiling. "You ain't done anything wrong. It's just a shame all around you can't hoop dance or read to occupy yourself." She turned her eyes upwards, humming in thought. "I guess the TV's always good for mind-numbing entertainment. And there's always Netflix. We can show you how to work those, and find stuff you like."

Luke just nodded. _(If I'm going to be stuck without my parents, unable to read, unable to even write a letter home... I'm glad it's with someone nice.)_

Willow got to her feet, tapping Luke's shoulder to signal for him to follow. "C'mon, I'll show you the rest of the house. It's just you, me and Kerensa home right now, so this is the best time to do it."

"Okay, Willow." Luke obediently got to his feet, pausing to look out the nearby window at the backyard outside. Near a small garden at the back was a hutch of wire and wooden posts, though he couldn't see what animals were in it. "Do you have pets?"

Willow laughed. "You bet: Rabbits. They'll be hiding from the heat right now, but you can go out and look at them later." She headed out into the hallway, only to stop and turn back. "Oh, and I wouldn't worry if Kerensa is a little distant with you at first. She's in college, so she has a lot of work to do, and it always takes her a while to warm up to new kids."

"That's alright." Luke showed Willow a grin to prove he wasn't offended. "If she's busy, I don't mind staying out of her way. I'm only supposed to be here a week, after all."

"You're a little saint, you are." With a chuckle, Willow again turned and left the room, beckoning for the boy to follow. "C'mon then, I'll show you the house."


	6. Rabbits

August 27, 9:59AM  
Bonney Family Home

 

The tour of the house was short but sweet, and Luke supposed he didn't need to know all the minor details anyway. Fuelling his suspicions that his bedroom was once an office was the sight of Willow's 'work area', a section of the dining room separated by flimsy paper folding screens, and that the other three bedrooms for the rest of the family were all on the top floor: The first, the master bedroom, belonged to Willow and her husband, Ryder.

"He's a teacher at the elementary school not far from here. You'll get to meet him this afternoon."

It took Luke an embarrassingly long time to realise 'elementary school' was the American term for a primary school. _(What do they call senior school, then? Fundamental school?)_

The second bedroom was Kerensa's, though Willow only gave Luke a brief glance at the poster-covered walls and paper-covered floor within.

"Gotta let her have her privacy, after all. Though I do wish she'd clean up once in a while."

The final bedroom of the three belonged to the other foster child currently staying in the home, a more permanent resident than Luke. This bedroom was equally messy, but with toys instead of paper. The walls were also coated with a neutral yellow paint, except for one feature wall that was a crimson red.

"His name's Noah. He's five. At school with Ryder, actually. You'll get to meet _him_ this afternoon too."

After looking around the perfectly ordinary house and memorising the locations of all the important parts (the kitchen and locations of all the toilets, among others), Willow took Luke back to the living room to show him how to work the TV and DVD player, as well as how to navigate their collection of movies and TV shows. Kerensa had vanished from where she'd been sitting earlier, and, although Willow assured him there was nothing stopping him from sitting down to watch something right now, Luke preferred to return to his little room.

Willow had nodded understandingly. "Alright. Come find me at my desk if you need something, okay?"

 

Although he knew he wouldn't be staying long, Luke set about going through his suitcase to take out various things he knew he'd need. A few shirts and shorts were neatly piled in one of the provided drawers, along with socks and underwear, but only exactly as many as would be necessary. His books and his journal he was resigned to leaving where they were, though he stared at the covers longingly for several minutes before moving on. More than anything, he wanted to write down his thoughts as he usually did throughout the day, or to distract himself with another reading and casual analysis of A Study In Scarlet. The rule of not engaging in lengthy writing, and especially not reading even for leisure, chafed him, but, if he wanted to be sure he suffered no long-term ill effects from the concussion, he had no choice but to follow it.

Sighing, Luke sat back on his bed and hugged his teddy tight with his one able arm. A part of him wanted to lie down and see if he could go back to sleep, but soon enough he felt the reminder of what had happened to his parents niggling at the back of his mind.

_(I can't stay in here. I have to go find something else to do.)_

Luke's eyes landed on the window, and on the small fenced-off area around the hutch by the garden. Smiling, he placed his teddy on his pillow and went to find the door into the backyard.

 

The door swung to a close behind Luke as he tiptoed across the short expanse of paving stones and onto the grass. He had certainly seen bigger yards than this in his life, but, considering most of them were attached to various mansions, he couldn't call this one 'small' necessarily. _(It fits the house, I think.)_ A slightly overgrown garden stretched across the back fence, a few bushes and a tree or two sticking out of the bare dirt below. Not far from the garden was the ringed fence, just tall enough to match the large hutch inside, a wooden hut kept off the ground with a ramp leading to its door. The perfect size for a rabbit. As Luke watched, a black bunny with a white nose and feet lumbered out of the hutch and down the ramp, pausing to sniff at the grass. Barely able to restrain his grin, Luke leapt across the lawn to join it, heading straight for the fence and dropping to his knees. "Hi!"

The rabbit's head lifted to stare at Luke, frozen except for the rapid twitching of its nose.

"O-oh, I must have scared you," Luke muttered, rubbing the back of his neck with a wince. "S-sorry. I wasn't thinking." He crouched down as far as he could with the restraints on his shoulders and left arm. "My name's Luke. I'm staying here for a while... and it's been a long time since I last spoke to a rabbit, so I got excited. Sorry again."

The rabbit sniffed the air, then lolloped forward, softly squeaking.

Luke smiled, relaxing. "Thank you, Artemis. It's nice to meet you, too. Are you the only one in there?"

Reaching the fence, the rabbit squeaked again, relaxing in the grass.

Luke giggled. "I'm glad you're not alone, at least." He paused, his smile fading as his eyes focussed on his knees. "I... think I'll be finding out what that's like for myself soon enough."

"What are you doing?"

With a shocked cry, Luke looked up to find a young woman standing behind the hutch, inside the fence, hands on her hips as she glared at the boy.

Kerensa.

"I guess my mom told you about the rabbits and you decided to follow me out here and put on a show?" She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "More devious than I thought."

Luke could only stare up at her, still cowering in the grass. "H-huh?" _(She... Does she think I was faking that conversation... for her?)_

"And what was the point of that little charade, then? Trying to garner pity?" Kerensa shook her head, disgusted. "I _already_ feel pity for you kids. I've certainly _known_ enough of you." She crossed her arms, watching Luke expectantly. "Well? Got anything to say for yourself?"

For a long moment, Luke was silent, too scared to speak. "I-I..." He took a deep breath, screwing up his courage. "I-I'm sorry, I think there's been a misunderstanding..."

"You _bet_ there has!" Kerensa snapped. "You want to explain yourself?"

Luke slowly pulled himself to his feet, his free hand holding his cast close. "W-Willow told me you had rabbits. I wanted to see them. I didn't think anyone else was out here... I-I just wanted to see the rabbits."

Kerensa stared at Luke for several seconds before, finally, the glare faded from her face. Dropping her arms to her sides, she looked away. "Dammit." She sighed, spinning in place with a hand pressed to her forehead. "I'm so stressed out, I'm making everything about me again. Of course you wouldn't have seen me hiding behind the..." As Luke stared in confusion, she stepped forward, resting her hand on the fence. "Listen, I'm sorry, kid. If you want to pretend to have a conversation with the rabbits, I don't blame you. I do the same thing." She smiled, holding out a hand. "Can we start over? I'm Kerensa. You're Luke, right?"

Luke nodded, reluctantly taking the hand to shake. He couldn't so easily forget the raw fear of the accusation... though he was at least able to paper over it with politeness. "That's me."

Kerensa grinned, putting her hands in her pockets. "Hi." She thought a moment, then looked down at the trio of rabbits milling around in the grass. Leaning down, she plucked the lone black one into her arms, cradling the animal with a proud look. "Like you said, this one is Artemis. She's actually been with us the longest, nearly as long as this has been a foster home."

Luke bit his lip, then stepped forward and hesitantly reached out a hand. When Kerensa made no move to object, he gently laid it on Artemis' head, stroking her between the ears. "How long has that been?"

Kerensa shrugged. "About six years? We got Artemis for him, actually. He named her, fed her every day..." She frowned, eyebrows furrowed with regret. "I don't think it occurred to us he wouldn't be around as long as her."

Luke didn't say anything immediately, keeping his focus on Artemis. "Were you close to him? Artemis' owner?"

Kerensa chuckled. "He was my little brother. The first kid we got. Nobody else has been here as long as him."

"How long was that?"

"Three years."

Luke looked up in surprise, his hand stilling on the rabbit's head. "Really?"

Kerensa nodded, a nostalgic smile on her face. "He was eight and I was fourteen when we met. I didn't understand it at the time, when he left... He must've been hurting a lot."

"Left?" Luke frowned, thinking hard. _(A foster child like me can just... leave? Or did she just mean he was moved to another family? Is that something that happens?)_

After a few moments of silence, Kerensa lowered Artemis back to the grass, then climbed over the fence, standing at Luke's side. "I try not to worry about him anymore. He'll be fifteen by now, anyway. And, wherever he is," she gave Luke a bright grin, "I know he's fine." She snickered, adjusting her glasses.

Luke didn't understand the joke, but put on a polite smile regardless.

"Well, I'm on a break from my readings right now," Kerensa continued, heading back towards the house. "I hear you're not allowed to read for some medical reason."

"Y-yes, I am." Luke hurried to follow, hand on his arm cast. "I got a concussion in the car accident, so they don't want me reading or writing too much for about a week."

"Ah, head injuries." Kerensa laughed, patting the boy's shoulder and eyeing his sling. "It kinda doesn't surprise me you were in a car accident, though."

Luke nodded. "The painkillers help me sleep, but I can't do that all day. If I'm not allowed to read... Well, your mum showed me how to use your TV. I guess that and the rabbits are my only option to pass the time."

"Now that won't do." Kerensa gave Luke a mischievous look. "I'm sick of reading textbooks. If I happen to decide to read something else for fun, out loud, no-one can complain if you just happen to be in hearing, can they?"

It took Luke a moment to work out what the young woman was implying. "R-really? You'd...?" A smile spread across his face. "Th-thank you so much, Kerensa!"

Kerensa just waved off his gratefulness. "No prob. I'll show you my collection. I'm sure I've got _something_ you'll like."


	7. A Day to a Week

August 27, 3:52PM  
Bonney Family Home

 

Kerensa read to Luke for many hours that day, all told. He sat on the end of her bed while she lay against her pillows, reading aloud one of his old favourites she happened to have on hand: Watership Down.

"You sure you want to sit all the way over there?"

"I think if I sit somewhere I can see the book, I'll just read it over your shoulder. I'd better not tempt myself."

"Good point. Stay over there, then."

Willow didn't comment on how quickly they seemed to connect, though she did give Kerensa a worried look when they explained what they were doing over lunch. "I thought you were concerned about those readings you have to do?"

Kerensa shrugged. "I'll get them done, Mom. Don't worry."

Willow sighed. "Alright. It's up to you."

The day passed pretty quickly thanks to Kerensa. Luke was barely aware of the time passing until Willow called up to them that afternoon.

"Luke! Come and meet the rest of the family!"

Kerensa sat up, slipping a bookmark into her battered paperback. "Huh. Dad and Noah must be home from school." She shot the boy a grin. "Better go say hello."

Sticking close to his foster sister, Luke ventured back down the stairs, hearing the voices drifting up from below.

A deep, masculine voice, likely that of Willow's husband and Kerensa's father: "I've got no complaints. I'm just glad none of my troublemakers tried to kill themselves for once."

Willow laughed. "No staplings today? That _is_ a shock."

"Willow! Willow!" came the high-pitched cry of a young child. "I drew this today!"

Kerensa reached the bottom of the stairs, waving for Luke to follow, and he rounded the corner into the living room, where everybody had gathered. Willow was stood in the centre, a small boy stood at her side. _(That must be Noah.)_ The five-year-old was holding up a piece of paper in his tiny hands, grinning widely as Willow leaned down to examine it and looking especially pleased as she gave him the expected high praise for the colourful marker scribblings upon it. Nearby, a tall man was lowering himself onto the lounge, a backpack sitting open on the floor that he was leafing through to pull out a stack of paper. _(And I guess he's Ryder. Willow said he was a teacher, didn't she?)_

Kerensa waved. "Hey, Dad. Hey, Noah. Have fun today?"

"Yeah!" Noah spun around with a smile for the young woman, only to pause as he spotted Luke at his side, and studied the teen with a frown. "Who are you?"

Ryder looked up with a friendly smile. "Ah, you must be Luke. Got here after we left, did you?"

Luke nodded, clutching his broken arm. "Just this morning, yes."

Noah still looked confused. "What's wrong with your arm?"

"Noah!" Willow firmly cut in, hands on her hips. "That's a rude question."

Luke shrugged. "It's okay." He gave the boy a smile. "I broke one of the bones in my forearm, and my shoulder, too. I have to wear this cast until it gets better."

Noah inched closer, still looking at the cast. "What'd you do to break it?"

Although hesitant, Luke pushed himself to stay polite. "O-oh, well, I was in a car crash. I'm staying here until I'm well enough to go to school."

The boy's face scrunched up. "Then you're leaving," he darkly muttered. "Just like Emily."

Ryder sighed. "Now, Noah..."

Noah wasn't listening, leaving Luke behind as he returned to his school bag on the floor.

Kerensa leaned over to Luke, whispering, "Emily was our other foster kid, this past summer. She left for boarding school a few days ago."

Luke nodded. _(I wonder if she went to the same school I'm apparently going to...)_

"Just because he's not staying long, there's no reason to be rude to Luke," Willow was busy telling the sulking Noah. "Now why don't you say hello properly?"

Noah mumbled into his bag for a moment, then reluctantly stood up again, his drawing still clutched tightly in his hands. "Hello."

"Hello, Noah," Luke replied, putting on his most gentlemanly smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Although the five-year-old still put on an annoyed air, a small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.

 

Dinner was a loud affair for the Bonney family, quite unlike what family meals had been like for the Tritons. If Noah wasn't ignoring requests to use his indoor voice as he detailed all his lessons and playtimes of the day, Ryder was laughing over a pun or a bad joke, or Kerensa was groaning at her father's humour. Even Willow tended to be loud as she ensured everybody had enough food, asking how their days were and generally being a mother hen to her small brood. Luke didn't mind so much, though it wasn't what he was used to. It was simply different.

Noah went to bed very quickly. Luke and the Bonneys hung around in the living room for a while, but the time came when Luke couldn't hide how tired he was after the busy day.

"We'll still be here in the morning," Willow assured him, resting comfortably against her husband's side.

"You need anything at all, you come wake us up, okay?" Ryder added. "You know where our bedroom is, don't you?"

Luke nodded as he got to his feet. "Willow showed me this morning."

Ryder smiled. "Then come get us if you need to, no matter how small the problem is."

Kerensa giggled, looking up from her textbook. "They mean it. They take it personally if you hide a problem from them."

Luke tried to laugh, but it came out rather weak. "I will," he lied. "Good night."

 

Lying in bed, it was all too easy for the silence and the darkness to creep up on him.

_(Mum and Dad are gone. Maybe dead.)_

He couldn't distract himself anymore with the new house and his host family, or with the perilous journey of Hazel and Fiver and Bigwig and the other rabbits who would found Watership Down.

_(I'm all alone. Maybe an orphan.)_

Not even the painkillers for his broken bones seemed to be helping. They were supposed to make him drowsy, but Luke felt wide awake.

_(I might never see Mum and Dad again. Or go back to England. I can't even write to let the Professor know what's going on.)_

The heat built up at the back of his eyes and spilled out in salty liquid form. Luke could only sniff, hugging his teddy tight with his free arm while the other rested numbly wherever the heavy cast let it fall.

_(I want to go home...)_

It couldn't have been more than half a minute before there was a gentle knock, and the door creaked open. "Luke? You okay?"

Luke froze at the sound of Ryder's voice, eyes squeezed shut. _(I'm asleep, I'm asleep, I'm asleep.)_

There was a long pause, then Ryder sighed. Instead of leaving, he entered the room, and Luke felt the heavy weight of the grown man sitting on the edge of the bed. "It's a good thing I was still down here doing the dishes, or I'd never have heard you. I hate to think you're down here crying while the rest of us are getting a good night's sleep upstairs."

Luke decided to stop pretending, carefully opening his eyes to look up at the worried man sitting nearby. "I'm alright."

Ryder scoffed. "You're fine, are you? I've heard _that_ before." He shook his head, then rested a hand on Luke's shoulder, being careful not to jostle it or the strap keeping it in place. "Seriously. Even if all you need is a good cry, we want to be there to help if you need it."

Luke thought a long moment. Finally, he sat up and turned to kick his legs over the edge of the bed. He didn't fight when Ryder pulled him into a hug, simply letting out his tears.

Even if it was only temporary, Luke was glad for the comfort in the absence of everything he had ever known.

 

The days passed slowly for Luke, over that next week. Kerensa was too busy with her college readings to spend a lot of time with him, but together they found they had enough time to read, not only Watership Down, but a new book Luke had never heard of before called A Black Bear's Story, about a family of bears somewhere in North America. In the afternoons, and over the weekend, Noah also took Luke aside to play with the Bonneys' stash of toys, or to beg his new older foster brother to sit down and watch some TV with him, and Luke was happy to oblige the boy. Every couple of days, Willow or Ryder would take Luke back to the hospital for a check-up, both on his broken arm and on his healing concussion, but he was still advised every time to avoid excessive reading or writing, and Luke's frustration at being unable to read his own books or write in his journal grew by the day. Although they insisted he could always come to them if he needed anything, Luke usually left Willow and Ryder alone, both with their own work to do when they were home that he didn't want to disturb. In those times, when he found himself alone, Luke usually ended up in the backyard with the rabbits, talking to Artemis and her equally fluffy hutchmates. After the unfortunate way he met Kerensa, he always made doubly sure he was alone before he started talking to them again.

On Friday, Constantin reappeared at the house, wielding a few sheets of paper in one hand. He sat Luke and Willow down at the dining table and laid the paper out on the varnished surface.

"This is an entrance exam for the school you're going to."

Luke frowned. "But I thought I still wasn't-"

"You won't be writing down the answers, no." Sniffing, Constantin tapped the paper. "We'll read it out to you, and you give us the answers. We'll write it down. The school's approved that as an alternative, to get you enrolled as close to the start of term as possible."

Although a little shaken at the abrupt interruption, Luke replied, "Okay."

"Maybe I should read the questions and write his answers?" Willow suggested, eyes flicking warily between the two. "If you'd be more comfortable with that, Luke."

Luke nodded.

Constantin thought a moment, then shrugged, passing the papers to Willow. "I'll supervise."

No matter how easy Luke had found that test, he still wasn't able to shake the uncertainty that completing it had already cemented the end of his time with the Bonneys.

 

August came to an end. September began in its place.

It was time for Luke to leave.

 

* * *

 

"Lauren Order's phone, Lauren speaking."

"Have you found him?"

"Hello to you too, Mister Wright. I've located your friend, yes."

"Oh thank you all that is good in this world... Where is he?"

"He's under the care of one of my associates. He's none of my business, so... Not even I know."

"... You've got to be kidding me."

"That's just how it is. We take our privacy rules seriously."

"But Luke is my friend! Just ask him, he'll tell you all about-! ... Well, he'll have quite the long, unbelievable story for you, but he knows me!"

"And I don't doubt you're telling the truth, Mister Wright, but that's just the way the system is. Isn't there a way he could contact _you_?"

"*sigh* It... just never happened. I shared my details with the Professor, and that was supposed to be enough... That's why it's so important you help me find him, and get back in touch. Please, Ms Order."

"..."

"Ms Order?"

"I'm still here."

"... You were so much help with Trucy. If you can't get in touch with Luke, maybe you could give me the details of his social worker? Please. I have to talk to him."

"Actually... I think there is something I can do to help. Let me talk to my associate, the one looking after Luke's case."

"You mean you can arrange something after all?"

"Something like that. I'll call you back on Monday. This is going to take a lot of cajoling on my part."

"Thank you so much. Keep me updated, could you?"

"Naturally, Mister Wright. I'll talk to you on Monday. Or Tuesday. This might take some time."

"*sigh* It takes as long as it takes... but please try to be quick."

"I'll talk to you on Monday, Mister Wright."


	8. Sophomore

September 3, 9:03AM  
Bonney Family Home

 

Noah had given Luke a tight hug that morning as he left for school. "Be good."

"You, too." Luke patted the boy's head as they parted. "And thank you for looking after me."

Noah grinned proudly. "No problem!" He promptly skipped away towards the car.

Ryder patted Luke's uninjured shoulder. "We were happy to have you. Maybe we'll even see each other again in the future."

Luke sighed. "I hope so."

 

Kerensa and Willow helped Luke pack everything back into his suitcase. His restriction on reading and writing had finally been lifted only the day before, so Luke had been alternating madly absorbing his small collection of books and writing the events of the past week down in his journal, and the items had ended up scattered around the room in his haste. Although he planned to write a letter back home, he decided to wait until he had a return address to send with it, eager for a reply from his beloved Professor.

Constantin arrived at nine on the dot, pulling up out the front in his mid-sized car. Kerensa took charge of Luke's suitcase, wheeling it out the door and onto the grass as they all emerged to meet him.

"So, this is it, huh?" Willow sighed, patting Luke's back as they left the front step. "I hope everything goes well for you, Luke."

Luke nodded, hiding his fear behind a polite smile. "Thank you, Willow." _(I hope so, too...)_

Constantin helped Kerensa manoeuvre the suitcase into the back of his car, slamming it shut with a grunt. "Time to go." He brushed off his hands as he approached the boy. "By the way, the police passed on the rest of your stuff the other day, so it's going with you for now."

Luke frowned. "Rest of my...?" It took him a moment to narrow down the possibilities. "You mean, from the car? My _parents'_ stuff?"

The man shrugged. "S'been a week." He turned and headed back to the car. "Say your goodbyes and we can get going."

Luke could only stand in shock for a second or two, his free hand gripping his teddy tightly to his chest. To be handed his parents' belongings, and to have them called _his_... It only cemented the possibility he'd never see them again. It made the situation more real.

It was Kerensa's hand tapping his hat that brought Luke out of his shock. "Hey." She leaned down to his level, a kind smile below her glasses. "Come back and visit once you're better. Maybe my mom could teach you hooping."

Willow chuckled.

Luke forced a smile and nodded. "Sure." He headed for the car, only to stop halfway and turn back to the Bonney women. "Thank you for everything."

"We were glad to help," Willow insisted, waving. "You go live your life, Luke."

"Be brilliant for us," Kerensa added.

Luke laughed through his tears, and hurried into the car.

He was long gone by the time he realised he had never taken note of the Bonneys' address.

 

Luke found himself stuffed in the back seat of the car next to two large suitcases. The one on top, Brenda's, was recognisable by the pink ribbon on its handle, and the one below, Clark's, by a leather luggage tag that, if Luke were to open it, would proudly display their old London address in his father's impeccable handwriting. Luke's own suitcase had sported a blue ribbon for a time, until he'd quietly removed it upon their arrival in America; The tags had been Brenda's idea, to identify their belongings at a glance on the crowded ship, and Luke's argument upon removing the blue ribbon was that, with only three suitcases to pick between, his was the one without anything on it. Now, looking at the pink ribbon and brown luggage tag, he wished he'd left it on, so he wouldn't feel so awkward staring at his mother's handiwork.

_(Once I arrive at school, it won't matter anyway. They'll probably be somewhere out of sight, and I won't have to think about them.)_

Having been home-schooled since birth, Luke wasn't sure exactly what to expect from a proper school. Sure, he'd heard stories from his parents, and from the Professor, but none of them had been to boarding schools, let alone one in the American system. At least _that_ change, from England to America, had been something Luke was expecting: Back home, he'd be entering Year 9 right now. Here, he was expected to go into Eighth Grade. It didn't make any sense, but, when he complained, Brenda had only shrugged and agreed with him.

"It's the American system. We'll have to get used to all sorts of strange differences like that as we settle in."

Luke doubted the possibility he'd be doing it alone had ever crossed his mother's mind.

Finally, Constantin broke the silence: "One of my co-workers is very interested in you."

Luke frowned, watching the back of the man's head. "Why?"

The man gave a non-committal shrug. "She wants to take over your case. So, next time you see... _me_ , it might not be... _me_. Y'know what I mean?"

After a short pause, Luke decided to nod. "I think so."

"Good. Just so we're on the same page."

Luke returned his gaze to the window.

 

"Here we are, Sirius Turner Boarding School for Boys."

As Luke opened the door, the first thing to catch his attention was the iron gate standing imposingly in front of them, flanked on both sides by a high brick wall. Adorned on the archway above were the words 'TURNER BOARDING SCHOOL', and a small speaker-box was mounted at its side. Beyond the bars of the gate sat a rectangular building, three stories tall, a concrete framework highlighting the dark glass inbetween. A fence on top indicated the flat roof was likely accessible on its own. To one side, Luke noticed a row of tall pine trees, blocking any view from within of anything beyond. On the other side, a squat building sat alone, an older style of design indicating it was much older than its neighbour, with its red brick sides a much closer match to the surrounding wall. Between, there lay an expanse of asphalt, dotted with iron benches.

Luke hugged his teddy tighter.

Constantin grunted as he pulled the two suitcases one by one from the back seat. "Where is that Kindly woman?" he muttered darkly. "Was supposed to help with all this..."

It was only then Luke noticed it was very quiet beyond the gate. _(What's the time? I guess classes have started, so everyone's inside... and any parents are long gone. Wait, no, this is a boarding school. There_ aren't _any parents.)_ Movement on the courtyard caught his eye, interrupting his train of thought: A short woman in a green dress had emerged from the taller building, and was making her way undeniably towards the gate. "Is that her, Mister Constantin?"

The man looked up from his struggles with the final suitcase, and sighed. "Finally..." He returned to pulling Luke's luggage from the back without another word.

As the short woman got closer, it became clear she was watching Luke warmly, hands clasped tightly together. "Ah, you must be our new student!"

Luke forced a smile. "H-hello."

The woman stopped beside the gate, pressing a button on what looked like another speaker box on the other side. "Hugo dear, our new student's arrived!"

"Gotcha Ms Kay," came a scratchy voice from the box. The radio buzz faded with a click, replaced by a mechanical buzz emitting from the gate itself.

The woman, Ms Kay, wasted no time in pulling open the gate, propping it open with a small pin that stuck into an equally small hole in the asphalt.

"I hope you're ready to take him," Constantin called, slamming the back of his car closed. "He's cleared for classes an' all."

"Oh, of course we're ready." Scoffing, Ms Kay emerged onto the pavement, taking in the three suitcases and the injured boy clutching his teddy bear. "It may take a few trips to get all of that upstairs, though."

Constantin sighed. "Fine, I'll help..."

"Why, thank you Innes! You're so kind!" With a chuckle, the woman turned to Luke and held out a hand. "You must be Luke Triton. I'm Nancy, though the kids here usually call me Nanny Kay."

Luke hesitated half a second before placing his teddy securely in the crook of his broken arm, held in place by the straps of the sling. With his healthy arm, he shook the offered hand. "Nice to meet you, Miss Nancy."

Nancy laughed. "Oh my dear, _no one_ calls me _that_! Just Nancy is fine."

Luke nodded. "A-alright, Nancy."

 

Together, Nancy and Constantin dragged the three suitcases inside the gate, which Nancy carefully unlatched behind them and guarded as it swung itself shut. Assured they were safe, she and the darkly silent social worker each took one suitcase and led Luke into the larger of the two buildings, then into a lift (though they called it an elevator, yet another change Luke would have to get used to). It took only a few seconds to travel up to the top floor, and Luke had to pause as they arrived at their destination, admiring the long hallway of polished black doors that extended across the entire length of the building before them. He lagged behind the two adults as they headed onwards, taking in the plaques labelling each door with a three-digit number; He couldn't help but notice every one began with '3'. Every sixth room on his left, instead of a number, sported a shower-head symbol, and its neighbour the typical stick figure that indicated a toilet. Luke only smiled as he took a mental note of the pattern, already musing on a puzzle to send back home.

Nearly at the end of the hallway, Nancy called their group to a halt and pulled a key from her pocket, which she stuck into a door on their right. "Here we are, Luke dear! Your new home!"

Constantin stepped back with a small huff as the woman disappeared inside. He made no move to follow her.

Luke took a deep breath to steady himself, clutching his teddy tighter. He stepped around Constantin and through the door into his new bedroom.

The first thing to strike Luke was how distant it was from anything describable as 'homely', feeling more like a hotel than any of his old bedrooms. The wallpaper was a solid beige. The far wall sported a room-width window of mid-sized glass panels, none of which were openable. A bed was pushed into the corner, a blue blanket over plain white sheets and a small pillow. Opposite was a small desk and matching chair, as well as an equally plain and cheap-looking chest of drawers. Next to the door, a built-in closet was left half-open, showing a railing inside with a handful of wire coat-hangers dangling from it.

Luke missed his old room back in London all the more.

Nancy rolled her suitcase, Clark's, up against the drawers, and slipped past Luke back into the hallway. "Innes dear, could you go fetch the last suitcase for me while I get Luke settled in?"

There was a grunt, then Luke heard the padding of footsteps down the hall.

When Nancy came back in, it was with Luke's own suitcase, the one Constantin had been guiding. She pressed it against the end of the bed, then turned to Luke with a warm smile. "Now dear, I'm sure this will be a lot to take in. We're not expecting you to actually take any classes until tomorrow, so today will just be getting used to the place."

Luke nodded. He was grateful to have the chance to settle, though he wasn't sure whether or not it would have been easier to get it all over with at once.

"Your paperwork's all been approved, so there's no need to worry about that." The woman chuckled, giving him a wink. "Why, you're going in with the sophomores. There's not many who can say they skipped freshman year!"

Luke could only give her a blank stare. "I'm... sorry?"

Nancy looked confused for only a moment before laughing again. "Oh, yes, you're English! Of course you don't know what that means!" She waved a hand, letting her own laughter die before explaining, "You're skipping straight to Tenth Grade, dear."

"T-tenth...!?" Luke could only stare in shock. _(Then again, I suppose Mum and Dad_ were _always saying the lessons I was doing were made for older kids...)_

A bell rang somewhere in the distance, and Nancy looked at her watch. "Ten o'clock." She then turned to the window, and Luke followed her gaze to find it overlooked the courtyard and gate far below them. He could even see Constantin struggling with the final suitcase as he wheeled it back towards the dormitory. Nancy gestured to the squat building to their left. "Third period will be starting over in the classrooms 'round about now."

Luke nodded, still watching Constantin. He wondered how long it would take the man to return. Privately, he mused he might prefer having someone else assigned as his social worker in future.

Nancy spun around in search of something, then headed to the desk and swiped something from its surface. Turning back to Luke, she showed off a small silver key. "This is yours, the key to your room." Luke held out his hand, and she placed it carefully in his palm. "If you lose it, you come straight to me, okay dear?"

Luke clutched his new belonging tightly in his fingers. "I will."

 

[View Luke's Notebook](http://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/158147439459/tumblr_omhwamdc991uwes7q)


	9. Space Cadet and Antenna Kid

September 3, 12:03PM  
Sirius Turner Boarding School for Boys  
Cafeteria

 

After settling in to his room, Luke found a busy morning facing him. After meeting the principal, a stuffy man who proudly boasted the same name as his school, a class timetable was laid out for him to follow, starting tomorrow. Nancy took Luke around the dormitory (the larger building he was sleeping in) and the classrooms (the squat building Principal Turner kept his office in). There wasn't much to the dormitory: Other than the nearest bathroom, the nearest toilet, the lifts and stairs, and Nancy's office and rooms on the ground floor, there really wasn't anything else Luke needed to know about it. Once they'd been to the principal's office in the school itself, Nancy took Luke on a much more thorough tour of the smaller building, making sure to locate all the classrooms listed on his timetable, pointing out all the toilets (or 'restrooms', he noticed Nancy called them), as well as the old hall where assemblies and functions were held. The bells rang every half-hour, prompting most every classroom to simultaneously empty as the students rushed to the lockers lining the corridors and then to their next classroom. Luke couldn't help noticing as they avoided the crowds that this truly was a boys school, as he had yet to notice a single girl aside from Nancy herself.

A uniform was arranged for Luke, a white shirt covered by a black jacket with a short collar that stuck straight up - a Mandarin collar, Nancy called it. Luckily, both buttoned up at the front, so he didn't think it would be too hard to put on over his cast, especially after the practise he'd managed to get in while at the Bonneys'. It came with matching black pants, and Luke was handed two of each item. "You can wear one set for three days and the other for two, then wash them both over weekends," Nancy told him. "For now though, let's get these back to your room. You can put them away, nice and ready to wear for your first class tomorrow."

After a drop by the laundry in Nancy's rooms to show Luke how everything there worked, his new uniforms were put away in his bedroom, and Nancy left him to his own devices.

Soon the midday bell rang. According to Luke's timetable, this marked the beginning of lunch. _(I guess I am feeling a little hungry...)_ He put down his journal and headed across to the classrooms.

 

The cafeteria was the second-largest room of the school, beaten only by the assembly hall. As Luke arrived, he found it chock full of boys anywhere between the ages of eleven and eighteen, all hanging out and chatting with each other around the large tables. He warily picked his way through the dense collection of bodies, into the queue for food. None of the other boys spoke to him, though he noticed them staring, and the lunch ladies gave him only a cursory look before recognising him from the earlier tour with Nancy and letting him be. By the time he'd collected as much food as he felt comfortable taking, Luke felt every bit the outsider in his blue cap, green shorts, and arm cast, especially when compared to the sea of black jackets that populated the room otherwise. It didn't help that there were more students older than him than there were younger.

It was difficult to find a place to sit among the crowded tables, especially while holding his tray one-handed, but Luke eventually found an empty corner to sit at, a reasonable distance away from the closest group. Normally, he'd be trying to find a friend or ally in this crowd, but, after the week he'd had, he found he wasn't ready to deal with social interaction at that level yet. It was better to wait until classes started, and he could make friends from the significantly smaller pool offered to him then. In the meantime, he would just ignore the stares burning into him from all sides.

A body dropped into the chair opposite with a squeak of metal against laminate floor, and Luke looked up with a jerk to see who it was: A teen a year or two older than him, a smirk peeking out from a wave of black hair that otherwise completely covered his face. He crossed his arms, leaning forward on the table with a cocky air. "You new, kid?" He scoffed, looking Luke up and down. "You _can't_ be local. Gotta be a dormer. What happened to your arm?"

Luke put his fork down, his hand reaching protectively for his arm cast. He wanted to turn the older boy away, but the voice of his beloved Professor reminded him to be a gentleman, so he only said, "I... broke it."

The boy laughed. "I can see _that_! What'd you do? Probably pissed off your parents so hard they packed you off here, huh?" He shook his head, his long fringe waving in front of his face, and it was maybe because of his hair he didn't notice Luke's wince. " _That's_ certainly happened before. Looking at that cast of yours, my money's on you crashing a car. That's the usual story around here."

Luke's eyes were wide. He would have been amazed at how this strange boy with the long hair had somehow landed both very close and impossibly far from the truth, if he weren't suddenly gripped by the reminder that, angry with him or not, his parents were never going to come for him, and all because of a simple car crash. His gaze turned down to his lap, and his bit his lip hard to keep from crying. _(Gentlemen don't make a scene in public...)_

Curtain Hair didn't seem to notice his distress. "Y'see, I saw you haven't got a uniform yet, so I figured you were put here in a hurry, and the school year's only just started too, so there had to be a good reason you were moved _here_ of all places!" He paused to laugh. "And you're a rich kid, right? Only _rich_ kids get transferred as dormers to boarding schools!" Chuckling, he leaned back in his seat, hands locked behind his head. "The broken arm gave the whole story away though. Yep, I am a _genius_ at figuring these things out. C'mon, tell me how right I am!"

Luke very much wanted to, but he was still frozen in shock, struggling not to burst into tears.

"Hey, ignoramus!"

Curtain Hair jumped to his feet, chair scraping loudly across the floor. Luke managed to look up, quickly locating the source of the voice as two teens about the same age as Curtain Hair, storming towards them with determined looks.

The taller boy, one with wild black hair and a visor, planted himself uncomfortably close to Curtain Hair, hands on his hips. "Can't you see the new kid wants to be alone right now?" By his voice, Luke realised it was him who had shouted earlier.

Curtain Hair rolled his eyes. "This ain't got nothing to do with you, _space cadet_." He waved the pair off. "We're just _talking_! That's not a crime, _moron_."

The other boy, distinguishable by the way his brown hair stuck up at the front like a pair of antennae, crossed his arms. "Didn't look like it from where _we_ were sitting, 'detective'."

Space Cadet nodded, leaning back with a self-important sniff that only highlighted the band-aid across his nose. "Sherlock Holmes you are not, Ernest. Were you telling _this_ one his parents hate him too?"

Curtain Hair scoffed, though he did step away from the table. "You guys are just jealous I'm descended from the greatest detective of all time!" He dismissively waved in Luke's direction, and stomped off with a muttered, "Screw you guys..."

Antenna Kid wasted no time turning to Luke with a concerned expression. "Are you okay?"

Luke nodded, watching the other boy, Ernest he supposed, vanish into the crowd. Sighing in relief, he wiped his eyes and met Antenna Kid's gaze with a small smile. "Th... Thank you."

"No problem." Antenna Kid gave Luke a wide grin, one he couldn't help but find reassuring.

Space Cadet mumbled something indistinguishable, leaning against the back of Ernest's chair and drumming his fingers against the dark plastic. "So, uh... Is it alright if my friend and I sit here? We won't talk to ya if you don't want us to."

Antenna Kid scoffed. "Yeah, no-one talks to us. You won't have to worry about people bugging you."

Luke thought over the offer for only a moment before taking a deep breath and nodding energetically. "I would appreciate that. Thank you."

Space Cadet grinned, shooting Luke double thumbs up. "Cool!" He spun the chair in front of him around and plopped down on top of it, resting his arms across the back. "Hey 'Pollo, go get my tray, will ya?"

Antenna Kid glared at his friend. "Why do _I_ have to go get the trays?"

" 'Cause you're standing up."

The glare didn't let up, Antenna Kid locked in a silent stare-down with Space Cadet's cocky grin. Finally, Space Cadet won out, as Antenna Kid sighed and stalked off. "Be back in a bit."

Space Cadet laughed. "You're the best, 'Pollo!" With his friend gone, he got back to his feet and spun his chair around again, sitting down the way it was made to be used. He shot Luke a grin, then turned in his seat to look out for Antenna Kid's return.

Luke returned his attention to his food, hiding a smile. He was grateful for the kindness of the two boys, though they had yet to introduce themselves. _(I should probably do that once the other one gets back. Maybe we could eat together in future, if I don't manage to befriend anyone in my class. If nothing else, I'll at least have friends that are in the school. And I'll probably be safe from that Ernest fellow, too.)_

When Antenna Kid emerged from the crowds once more, it was with an intense frown, two lunch trays balanced precariously in his arms. He had to lean down to drop one in front of his friend, muttering darkly as he moved into the closest chair with his remaining tray.

Space Cadet rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Ah, thank you, Jeeves!" He snickered to himself, turning to his food.

'Jeeves' rolled his eyes. "You just did that to watch me struggle, didn't you?"

"You know you love me!" To punctuate his point, Space Cadet shoved a piece of toast in his mouth with a muffled laugh.

Luke swallowed what was in his mouth and placed down his fork. "Thank you again for your help back there."

"It wasn't a problem," Antenna Kid insisted, shaking his head. "Ernest thinks he's some kind of super-sleuth, but most of the time his 'deductions' amount to, well," he shrugged, " 'your parents never loved you', to be honest. How he always gets that from the most radically different kinds of body language, I'll never know."

Space Cadet sagely nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he ain't got the same annoying tendency of pointing out people's habits that you do."

"Hey..."

Ignoring his friend, Space Cadet grinned and took another massive bite of his toast.

Luke giggled, then reached across the table. "My name's Luke. Luke Triton."

It was Space Cadet who grabbed Luke's hand first, shaking it vigorously. "Mrff rrffrn."

Antenna Kid rolled his eyes, shooting his friend a dirty look. "Chew your damn food, Clay."

Space Cadet, Clay, simply released Luke's hand to wave off the complaint.

Sighing, Antenna Kid turned to Luke. "This jerk's name is Clay Terran." He smiled, shaking Luke's hand. "And I'm Apollo Justice. Nice to meet you, Luke."

Luke grinned. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Apollo! And you too, Clay!" His hand parted from Apollo's, both returning to their meals.

Clay swallowed his food and laughed. "You are _not_ from around here, Luke."

"No," Luke chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm from London. England, I mean."

Clay paused, staring at the younger boy. "Wow. Really? You're a long way from home."

Apollo was frowning. "How'd you end up here in California?" He shrugged, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "If you're happy to talk about it, I mean."

"I don't mind," Luke insisted, though he knew he wasn't ready to go into details. "I moved here with my parents. We arrived last week."

"Ah, took you a while to get into a school, huh?" Clay scoffed, shooting an amused look into the crowd behind him. "That explains Einstein's terrible train-wreck of assumptions earlier." He grabbed the juice box from his tray to take a long sip from the straw.

Apollo was still watching Luke closely. "Which grade are you in? Do you know?"

Luke nodded. He was finding himself as curious about Apollo as the older teen clearly was about him. "Nancy said I'm going into..." He paused, trying to remember the term she had used. "Semaphore year?"

Apollo's eyes widened dramatically. "What!?"

Clay nearly choked on his drink, thumping his chest and recovering with a laugh. "Are you _serious_?" He looked Luke up and down. "Man, you are _so_ not fifteen!"

"Yeah, you look like a sixth or seventh-grader," Apollo emphatically gestured to the boy to emphasise his point, "not a _sophomore_!"

"Well, no, I'm not fifteen, but," Luke puffed out his chest as best he could with his shoulders already as far back as they could go, "I'll be _fourteen_ in November."

Clay snorted, returning to his juice box with a grin. "I shoulda guessed you were one of them smart cookies."

Apollo was still staring at Luke in confusion. "You're... staying here in the dorms, right?"

Luke nodded, then frowned. "You mean some people don't?"

Clay shook his head, then gestured between himself and Apollo. "I mean, the both of _us_ stay here, but some weekends I go back to my dad's. Kids who live close enough only come in for classes. Despite the name, this place isn't exclusively a boarding school."

Luke hummed in thought, tapping his fork against his plate absently.

"If you're a sophomore, you'll be on level three of the dorms, same as us," Apollo said. "We might even be in the same classes."

"We will?" Luke couldn't hide a pleased smile. Stumbling into making friends from his classes before even _attending_ them was a long-awaited stroke of good luck. "I hope so."

Clay slapped the table. "I got it! You come by my dorm once school's over, huh? We can compare our timetables!"

Apollo finally dropped his stern look for a calm smile. "That sounds fun. Clay's is three-twelve. Are you okay finding that on your own?"

"I think so." Luke giggled. "I'm looking forward to it already!"


	10. Bonding School

September 3, 3:38PM  
Dormitory  
Room 312

 

When Luke arrived at the room matching Clay's number, he found the door already wide open. He'd paused a moment in the hallway, confused, before Apollo's head appeared from within, grinning as he spotted the younger boy.

"Hey, you came! I was worried you'd forgotten!" Laughing, Apollo waved Luke in. "C'mon, we've got another chair."

Sighing in relief, Luke followed him through the doorway.

The first thing that struck Luke about Clay Terran's room was the wallpaper. Every inch of wall-space was covered by some kind of poster, whether it be a space-themed movie or an official image from NASA of the most impressive visuals telescopes had ever given them. _(I think I know why he was nicknamed 'space cadet'...)_ The layout was identical to Luke's room, though rotated to look out across the trees that lined the back wall instead of the courtyard. Luke was glad: He'd left his own room once he saw the square below packed with students being picked up by parents, or simply hanging around now classes were over, and the noise had crept through his window to his desk. It was much quieter here, and the view of the city over the tree-tops was much more pleasing in his opinion.

Apollo dropped down into the bed, casually crossing his legs as he perched on the unmade covers, and Luke noticed now that, unlike back in the cafeteria, the older boy had rolled up his sleeves and was wearing some kind of golden bracelet on his left wrist. Apollo's eyes weren't on Luke, facing across to the corner opposite from the door. "You found it yet?"

The desk, Luke noticed, was barely visible under a spread of paper across its top, much like the walls above it. Clay sat in the nearby chair, and huffed as he waved his friend off. "Have _you_ found it yet?"

Apollo just grinned, hands on his knees. "Tried looking on the floor?"

Luke almost gaped as he finally turned his attention down. Just like the desk and the walls, the carpet was barely visible under a sea of books and papers, dotted with figurines and spaceship models of various sizes and qualities. Even worse, he couldn't see enough of the floor beneath to plot a safe path to the fold-out chair he'd spotted in the middle of the room. _(Hasn't school only been back a week or two? How is his room already such a mess?)_

Clay muttered to himself, getting up from his chair. Finally, he seemed to notice his other visitor, and gave the younger boy a wide grin. "Luke! Come sit down!" He jumped over to pat the fold-up chair, then continued past Luke to the door, which he carefully closed. "Don't worry about the floor."

Apollo snorted. "Yeah, seriously. It's his own fault he leaves stuff anywhere, so if you ruin something by stepping on it, nobody will blame you."

Clay laughed, slapping Luke on the shoulder as he wandered back to his desk. Luke tried not to wince as the spike of pain informed him that had been the one he broke in the crash.

"You okay?" Apollo asked, smile fading. Undoubtedly, he had noticed the brief expression of pain cross the younger boy's face.

Luke nodded, though his held his broken arm carefully. "Just... could you please not slap my broken shoulder?"

Clay looked up with wide eyes, almost falling out of the chair he was in the middle of dropping into. "Wait, your-? Dude, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's alright. I guess I didn't mention it, after all." Luke held back a sigh, picking his way across the floor to the fold-up chair. "The restraint to make it heal is practically invisible, too."

"I noticed your shoulders were oddly still," Apollo muttered, watching Luke with a frown.

Clay fiddled uncomfortably as Luke got comfortable in the other chair. "So, um... Nanny Kay gave you a tour of the place, right? We forgot to ask earlier."

It took Luke a moment to recognise the name Nancy said most of the students used for her. "She showed me around once I got my schedule. I'm pretty much all set to start classes tomorrow."

"That's good." Clay managed a grin, relaxing as the subject was successfully changed. "It's too busy to show you around right now anyway, huh?"

Luke giggled. "I'm actually surprised there's such a crowd heading home at the end of the day. Are there many kids like us who stay in the dormitory?"

"Not as many as there used to be, apparently." Apollo shrugged. "Principal Turner opened up the place to locals a few years before either of us came here, but there are still dormers like us around."

Clay nodded sagely. "Most of us are either orphans or don't get on with our parents or guardians. I'm the latter, 'Pollo here is the former."

Luke looked between the two in surprise. "Really?"

Apollo sighed. "I go to foster homes over breaks, but otherwise I'm stuck here."

Suddenly Luke remembered Willow's words about taking in kids from Turners over the summer, and gasped. "Oh! Did you ever go to the Bonneys, Apollo?"

Clay snorted. "The what?"

Apollo was staring at Luke with wide eyes, which slowly narrowed. "How do you know the Bonneys?"

Luke nearly wilted. "Well... Willow told me they have kids from this school sometimes. I just wondered if you might have been one of them once."

Apollo's suspicious stare didn't let up.

"Oh, I get it!" Clay laughed, lounging in his chair. "They're a foster family, right? So Luke's asking-!" He paused, his gleeful look fading as he gave Luke a confused look. "Wait. Why were you at a foster family if you just moved here with your parents?"

Luke couldn't answer, staring at the floor. _(Please, I don't want to cry and make a scene in front of my new friends on the first day at school...)_

"Oh. _Ohhhh_. I know that face." Clay held the seat of his chair firmly to his backside, getting up and scooting across to sit back down at Luke's left. He reached out to pat Luke's shoulder, only to pause. "Um. Is this the one that's broken?"

"It is."

"Right." Clay got up again and scooted to Luke's right. This time, he didn't hesitate to gently pat Luke's shoulder. "You said you're thirteen, didn't you? I was thirteen when my mom died, too."

Luke gasped, his gaze shooting up to Clay. "Your...?" He bit his lip, trying to blink away the blurriness in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"I'm fine. It was a while ago." Clay gave Luke a smile, which quickly turned sympathetic. "I remember how awful that felt, though. She was hit by a drunk driver. It was just... so sudden, completely unexpected. I couldn't go home. I was stuck here. The night after I found out, I tried to sneak out of school anyway, but I couldn't get past the gate... so I just sat down and cried on the benches there."

Luke remembered seeing those iron benches as he came in. _(They can't have been comfortable to sit on in the middle of the night, though.)_

"And that was when me and 'Pollo met. He came to check on me, and give me some advice, from one kid without a mom to another." Clay paused, thinking. After a moment, he met Luke's eyes with an intense stare. "It's not fair that other people have moms and we don't. But, y'know, we can't just wallow in that unfairness. When me or 'Pollo feel sad, we _yell_ , at the top of our lungs! _I'm fine_!"

Luke jumped at the sudden shout, just barely staying in his seat. He found himself having to bite his lip to keep from laughing in shock.

Clay grinned. "And then you can't help but feel you _will_ be fine." He turned his face to the ceiling and again hollered, "CLAY TERRAN IS FINE!"

Apollo shifted on the bed, uncrossing his legs to drop them over the edge of the mattress. He similarly grinned before he joined in: "APOLLO JUSTICE IS FINE!"

"Your turn!" Clay patted Luke's shoulder, then held his fists in front of him. "C'mon, Luke!"

Luke looked between the pair, feeling hot embarrassment spreading across his face. All his life, he'd been taught not to shout, but he'd also been taught to fit in, and he couldn't just ignore the expectant smiles directed at him. Sending a silent apology to his parents and Professor Layton, he scrunched up his face and pulled as much air into his lungs as he dared. "L-Luke Triton is... Luke Triton IS FINE!"

"There you go!" Apollo cheered, bounding on the bed. "You're fine, Luke!"

"I'm fine!" Luke realised he was panting rather heavily from the shout, and, somehow, that combined with the grins on his new friends' faces to make him laugh. "It... It worked!"

Chuckling, Clay shook Luke's shoulder. "Of _course_ it worked! You think we'd steer you wrong?"

Apollo nodded, jerking a thumb into his chest. "A little practise will give you Chords of Steel like us. We won't give you _any_ reason to ever feel sorry for yourself, no matter the crappy situation."

Luke chuckled, wiping any remnant tears from his eyes. "Thank you."

Apollo grinned, hands on his knees. "Anything for a friend."

"And Chords of Steel have many uses, too!" Clay boasted, pulling a foot casually into his lap. "We use 'em so we never lose each other in a crowd, and to make sure no-one ever _doesn't_ hear us encouragin' them!"

"And they're _vital_ for a future lawyer," Apollo added. "No defence attorney would get very far if no-one in the courtroom could hear 'em."

Luke was halfway through nodding in agreement when Apollo's words registered. "Defence attorney?" The courtroom of Labyrinthia flashed in front of his eyes, along with a blue-suited lawyer who had always fought so hard to see justice done.

"Yep!" Apollo preened for a moment before frowning, staring at Luke. "Hey, defence attorneys don't just 'defend criminals', alright? They have to make sure the people the police arrest-"

"Oh, no, I know that," Luke was quick to assure him. "I have a friend who's a defence attorney, actually. He's American, too." His smile faltered a little. _(I have no idea where in America he and Maya live, though. Why didn't I think to ask the Professor before we left?)_

Apollo blinked, surprised, then smiled. "Huh. Cool. Maybe you could introduce me to him one day."

Luke grinned and nodded. "I think he'd like that." _(I'll ask the Professor in my next letter.)_

Clay snickered, hiding his mouth behind a hand. "As long as neither 'Pollo or your friend end up like _his_ hero." He quickly gestured at his friend on the bed.

"Don't start," Apollo growled in reply. He turned his attention back to Luke. "Well, Clay's mom got hit by a car, like he said. My dad died in a fire when I was a baby, and I got separated from my mom then. What about you?"

Luke didn't know if it was the shouting or the new knowledge he wasn't alone as a kid without parents, but he didn't feel that familiar clench in his chest anymore at the prospect of discussing his lost family. "Our car crashed. My mum and dad... The police think they went off into the forest looking for help. It's been over a week now, so..." He found a spot of barely visible carpet on the floor, which he stared at so he didn't have to meet Clay or Apollo's eyes.

Clay's hand landed once more on Luke's shoulder. "I'm sorry, dude."

Luke didn't know what to say in reply, so he stayed silent.

"The correct response is 'I'm fine', Luke," Apollo chuckled.

Luke smiled. "I'm fine."

Apollo hid a snort. "Louder than that."

Luke's resulting giggles were interrupted by a gasp from Clay: "Hey, you know what would _really_ cheer you up, Luke?"

Apollo rolled his eyes. "Here we go..."

"A visit to the Space Center!" Clay laughed, bouncing in his chair. "We'll take you there on Saturday!"

Luke's head shifted to one side. "A space centre...?"

"Yep! They have research, and astronauts, and even a rocket!" Clay emitted a high-pitched squeal, a sound Luke had never expected to hear from him, and stared wistfully at the ceiling. " _Mister Starbuck_ works there. He's my _mentor_."

Luke had to carefully control his expression to keep from looking too amused. "Really?"

"Mister Starbuck's an astronaut who works at the Space Center," Apollo explained with a sigh, then shot Clay a frown. "And how do you plan on taking Luke there? I don't think he can ride a bike with a broken arm and shoulder."

Clay paused, looking Luke up and down as though noticing his injuries for the first time. "Uh..." He crossed his arms, considering the question for a long moment, then waved off his friend dismissively. "We'll think of something."

Luke hid a giggle. "I'm guessing you want to be an astronaut when you grow up, Clay?"

"You _bet_ I do!" Clay boasted. "Who _wouldn't_?"

"What about you, Luke?" Apollo asked, watching the younger boy with a smile. "Do you know what you're going to do when you grow up?"

Luke thought for a long moment, idly tapping the cast on his arm. "I... haven't really thought about it." He frowned. "I guess I always assumed I'd get to stay in London, solving puzzles and mysteries with the Professor, even _after_ I finished school. Now, I... I don't even get to do _that_ anymore..."

"Sounds like you had an interesting life." Clay tapped his lips, frowning in thought. "So... who's this Professor guy? Your mentor?"

Luke nodded, giving Clay an excited grin. "Yep! Professor Hershel Layton, the best archaeologist in the _entire world_! He's famous back home, and I helped him solve all sorts of difficult puzzles and strange mysteries! We travelled the world together, from England to Russia to both Americas, and we helped out Scotland Yard with all their hardest cases!"

Apollo laughed, crossing his legs on the bed. "Sounds impressive!"

Luke nodded, and found himself trying to cross his arms before nearly getting his right tangled in the sling of his left and just holding the cast carefully. "It _is_ impressive."

"You're gonna have to tell us another time," Clay said, shrugging. "You brought your class timetable, right?"

"Sure." Luke reached into his pocket to pull out the piece of paper.

Apollo slipped off the bed, similarly pulling a folded sheet of paper from his pocket. "Great! Let's see what classes we share!"


	11. Unscheduled Nap

September 3, 5:04PM  
Dormitory  
Room 321

 

In the end, Luke quite enjoyed his afternoon with Apollo and Clay, talking about the classes they would share and various things he could expect when he started school properly the next morning.

"Luke, look: Seems we share Chemistry, Friday morning."

"Yep, you may need to tutor 'Pollo in that one. He's terrible at it!"

"Ha ha."

"It's mostly memorisation, isn't it? I'm sure you won't need my help, Apollo. Oh, look, we have the same English class, Clay!"

"We do?"

"Uh-oh, you've got the Major too? I've heard she's ultra strict. Ex-army, they say."

"Like _you_ can talk. You're not stuck with her, dude."

Even after comparing their timetables, the trio still hung around in Clay's room chatting for over an hour. Luke told them more about the famous Professor Layton, and Clay similarly boasted of the heights of fame Solomon Starbuck would reach once he finally got into space in a year or two.

It struck Luke after a while that the third member of their group had been rather quiet when compared to how much Luke and Clay were talking. He decided to give his new friend a chance to dominate the conversation as they had, asking, "Apollo, didn't you mention having a 'hero' earlier? They'd be a defence attorney, right?"

Apollo flushed. "W-well..."

Clay laughed. "Oh boy, wait until you hear about the _Forgin' Attorney_..."

"Shut it, Clay!" Apollo snapped. "He was _framed_ , alright? There's _no way_ he forged anything!"

Luke looked between the two, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Clay snickered, watching Apollo expectantly.

Sighing, Apollo shook his head. "It doesn't matter." He forced a smile, turning to Luke. "So, you said you were involved in the rescue of your Prime Minister, didn't you? I wanna hear about _that_."

Apollo didn't do much talking in the end.

When finally their conversation reached a natural stopping point, Luke decided to withdraw and return to his room, citing as a reason that he had unpacking to finish, and Apollo and Clay let him go with a promise to meet up again for their evening meal in the cafeteria. Truthfully, Luke had already gone through his suitcase - a bittersweet couple of hours spent placing what meagre remains of his belongings were still with him around his new room. Most of it had been clothes, a mind-numbing task that gave Luke altogether too much time to think. All that was left were the two suitcases that belonged to Clark and Brenda, and Luke wasn't sure he'd ever feel ready to open those. Despite what Constantin had said, he could never see them as 'his'. No, the reason he'd left Clay's room once he got the chance was simply because he was _tired_. This day, his first day at Turner Boarding School, had been long and emotional, and he was greatly looking forward to going to sleep.

Back in his own small bedroom, room number 321, Luke lowered himself onto his bed, cuddling his teddy tight with his uninjured arm.

_(It won't be long until they're serving supper... I'll just lie here until then.)_

It was with that thought he closed his eyes, resolved to get up in an hour to meet back up with his new friends.

 

* * *

 

Apollo couldn't help but feel an instant connection to young Luke Triton, which had only grown stronger the more they learned about him. He grew up overseas and was new to the US, had a beloved mentor he'd lost due to circumstances beyond his control, had suffered the disappearance (or worse) of his parents, had stayed with the Bonney family for a while... Even putting aside those similarities, Luke was exceedingly polite and friendly, and Apollo could tell just from looking at him that the thirteen-year-old was remarkably honest and, all in all, just a purely good person. He could never regret how quickly he and Clay had adopted the kid into their friend group.

And that only made him worry more.

Luke had returned to his room claiming he wanted to finish unpacking - Apollo knew he was lying, though he couldn't say how, just deciding to let his new friend have the space he probably desperately needed - and the boys had somehow agreed the _time_ they would meet up for dinner, but not the _place_. As a result, when six o'clock came around, Apollo and Clay were left standing in the empty hallway with no idea of where Luke was.

"Y'know, he might be waiting at the elevator," Clay suggested.

They waited in the cul-de-sac with the stairs and lift for five minutes.

"He might be outside," Apollo mused.

They waited by the dormitory building's front doors for ten minutes.

"He's probably in the cafeteria," both boys decided.

Luke wasn't in the cafeteria.

Clay sighed. "Y'know, we've come all the way here, I'm starved... Let's just get our food and wait for him here, okay?"

Although he hated to do so before their younger, and _injured_ , friend had joined them, Apollo reluctantly agreed.

Dinner that night was oddly quiet for Apollo and Clay. The cafeteria was quieter than it had been at lunch (as it usually was with the local students back in their own homes), so it wasn't hard for them to snag seats near the door, which they watched nervously for any sign of a boy in a blue cap with an arm cast.

"You think he's ditched us?"

Apollo glanced over to his friend, noting the way Clay's visor was down-turned to hide his eyes. "Nah. He's probably just lost track of the time."

Clay bit his lip, twirling the last dregs of his spaghetti into the twines of his fork.

"He's just lost his parents, remember? I seem to recall _you_ missing a lot of meals after your mom died."

Clay froze. After a few moments, he finally met Apollo's eyes with a thoughtful frown. "Yeah... but you always made sure I had something to eat anyway."

Apollo nodded, smiling. "If Luke doesn't show up here by the time we're done, let's get him something and take it up to his room."

"Yeah, good plan." Clay grinned for all of three seconds before frowning again. "Except we don't know his room number."

Apollo rolled his eyes. "Then we'll ask Nanny Kay. Once we tell her what we're doing, she won't mind us taking food into the dorms."

Clay thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Eh, I guess you'd know, since you've done this before. I'll follow your lead, then."

 

Sure enough, although Nancy had side-eyed them when she saw Apollo and Clay headed towards her with a slice of quiche on a plate, once she'd heard what they were doing, she was happy to let them both past.

"Luke's in room three-twenty-one, dears. Just get that plate and cutlery to me when you're done, and I'll make sure they get back to the kitchen."

Back up two flights of stairs, the pair headed for Luke's room. Apollo cradled the cold plate in his arms, one hand clutching the knife and fork they'd swiped to accompany it. Once they found the little plaque designating room 321, Clay took charge, knocking on the painted wood.

There was no reply.

"Luke?" Clay knocked again. "You in there, buddy?"

A short pause. "I-I'm coming!" A few moments later, the door opened to reveal a hatless and bleary-eyed Luke, blinking up at the two in confusion. "Clay? Apollo?"

" _There_ you are." Clay snorted, hands on his hips. "Where were you, dude?"

Apollo grinned. He had a pretty good guess about what had held up their new friend, and suspected Clay had guessed the same thing. He indicated the plate in his arms to Luke. "You missed dinner. We thought we'd bring you something."

Luke's eyes widened. "I did!?" Instantly alert, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and dashed back into his room, madly looking around for some kind of clock. "What's the time? I didn't _mean_ to fall asleep...!"

Clay laughed, heading in after the younger boy. "It's fine, dude. Good thing you've got us looking out for you, huh?"

"Y-yeah," Luke mumbled, lingering by his desk. "Thank you, by the way."

Apollo followed his friends inside, closing the door at his back. He paused briefly, taking the opportunity to look around the room: Neat and tidy, as could only be expected on its occupant's first day. At the end of the bed were two large suitcases, one with a hot pink ribbon on the handle while the other sported a leather luggage tag. A third suitcase was on the opposite side of the room, squeezed into the small space between the drawers and the desk. A satchel hung off the back of the chair nearby, and the bed, its blankets tousled from Luke's impromptu nap, featured a brown, and clearly well-loved, teddy bear. Apollo bit back a smile, taking his plate towards the desk, where Luke still stood. "Here. You'd better eat it, after all the trouble we went through."

Luke blushed, accepting the food and cutlery and placing them carefully on his desk. "Isn't food not allowed in the dormitory?"

"Nanny Kay gave us permission," Clay explained, dropping onto the end of the bed. "She said to get the plate and stuff back to her when you're done."

Luke thought a moment, then nodded and sat down in his chair.


	12. Plans Were Made

September 3, 6:25PM  
Dormitory  
Room 321

 

"Y'know, I've been thinking about our trip to the Space Center this weekend."

Apollo sighed. "Here we go."

Luke looked up from his desk, where he was about halfway through eating the dinner his friends had procured for him. While he'd had his back turned, Apollo had settled on the bed next to Clay, and was watching their friend with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow. Clay himself was simply grinning widely (his default expression it seemed), pressing his hands firmly to his knees.

"Y'see, it's about a forty minute bike ride from here," Clay continued, dark eyes on Luke. "Obviously, if you can't even stretch out your arm, you wouldn't be able to ride a bike yourself, but I bet you're light enough you could just jump on the back of mine. I could carry you!"

Luke glanced down at the thick cast hanging in the sling holding his left arm. _(That's true, I wouldn't be able to ride a bike myself like this. Riding on the back of Clay's, though?)_

Apollo rolled his eyes. "I doubt that's going to happen. Even someone as small as Luke would get exhausting to carry after a while. And Nanny Kay wouldn't let us sign out bikes if she knew that's what we were doing."

Clay scoffed. "Then we don't tell her. Simple."

Apollo's eyes narrowed. "She will already know Luke can't ride a bike alone. If the three of us go down there asking for two bikes, and _three helmets_ , she'll figure out what we're doing without us having to say a thing. If we tried to sneak out an extra helmet, or if Luke hid and joined us as we left, she'd notice. Nanny Kay has _eagle eyes_ , moron. Remember what happened last time you underestimated her?"

Suddenly Luke was very interested in hearing that story.

Clay squirmed in place for a few moments, then sighed, arms crossed in a pout. "Yeah, alright." He thought a second or two, then grinned. "Ah, but who says she wouldn't let us go? If she's gonna figure it out anyway, we could just _tell_ her what we're doing upfront! She'll let us take Luke out, no problem!"

Apollo stared at his friend incredulously. "Are you serious!?"

"I'm _always_ serious."

It took a few minutes for the pair's argument to die down. Luke simply let them talk without paying much attention, taking the chance to finish his dinner instead. His mind was on other things. He waited until he had carefully lain his knife and fork on the empty plate to once more turn towards his friends on the bed.

Apollo noticed Luke's movement first. "Oh, you're done?"

Luke nodded. "Thank you again for bringing me supper. And I'm sorry for missing you in the cafeteria."

"Dude, don't worry about it," Clay insisted, locking his fingers together behind his head. "We're friends now, aren't we? Oh!" He launched himself off the bed towards Luke's desk, grabbing the empty plate. "I'd better get this to Nanny Kay. Be right back!" With that, he dashed out the door.

Apollo chuckled. "That's Clay for ya. He's right, though: You're our friend now. Friends look out for each other."

Luke nodded, though his appreciative smile quickly faded, his free hand tapping the cast on his left arm. "Um... Apollo? I also wanted to apologise for earlier. You didn't get to do much talking between me and Clay."

Apollo looked confused for a moment, then shook his head with a laugh. "Nah, it's fine. I didn't have much to say, anyway."

"Okay." Luke bit his lip, still concerned. "I... I'll keep that in mind then, that you don't like talking about yourself."

"It's not that." Apollo sighed, leaning back to hold his weight on his arms. "I just..." He hummed in thought, then sat up again, holding out his left fist. "See this bracelet? It was with me when I got separated from my mom. When I become a lawyer, I'll hopefully be famous enough to get my picture in the paper, and she might recognise me by it."

Luke stared at the golden ring on Apollo's wrist in surprise. "Really?"

Apollo nodded, pulling back his arm. "And the Bonneys? They were my foster family for a few years, before I came to Turner's."

"A few years?" A grin slowly took form on Luke's face. "Oh! Kerensa said the first foster kid they had was there about that long! He owned Artemis!"

"What?" Apollo's eyes widened. "Artemis is still...?"

Luke giggled, nodding. "She also said no-one else was ever around as long as that first one, and she thought of him as a little brother." He hugged his broken arm to his abdomen, head cocked to one side in thought. "She was sort of vague on why he left, though... if they were so close, I mean."

Apollo pulled his legs up onto the bed, curled into a ball. He avoided Luke's gaze. "That's... That's complicated."

Luke held back a triumphant cheer at having guessed Apollo's identity correctly. "It's okay, you don't have to explain if you don't want to. Kerensa misses you, though."

Apollo just grunted. He didn't seem surprised.

The door burst open with a thud, and the pair looked up to see Clay catapulting himself inside with a laugh. "Hey guys, I ran into Nanny Kay halfway down, can you believe that?" He spun on his heel to close the door behind him. "Anyway, I hope you two didn't die of boredom without me around to distract you." He scoffed, and was stepping towards the bed by the time he noticed Apollo carefully uncurling from his ball. Clay's grin died. " 'Pollo?"

"We were just talking about this foster family we both went to," Luke explained, then returned his gaze to Apollo. "They invited me back to visit, actually. We could both go. I'm sure they'd be happy to see you."

Apollo sighed, nodding. "They'd be ecstatic..." Despite his defeated air, his tone came across as more sad than sarcastic.

Clay laughed, already back to his regular humour. "Well, there you go!" He slapped his friend's shoulder, dropping back onto the bed. "We could do a test-run of the whole 'bike' thing, if they're not far away. How long's the trip?"

Luke frowned. "I... don't actually know. I wasn't paying attention in the car... and I didn't write down their address, either."

"Eh, it wouldn't be that hard to look it up." Clay shrugged. "We can drop by the computer lab after school tomorrow." He elbowed Apollo with a grin. "You'll be fine, 'Pollo. You just said they'd be happy to see you again, didn't you?"

Apollo nodded, still avoiding anyone's eyes. "I guess... the least I could do is give them a proper goodbye."

Clay and Luke shared a surprised look. "You... what?" Clay asked.

"I ran away," Apollo groaned, curling into a ball again and burying his face in his knees. "Or, well, I wasn't _trying_ to run away. More I was running _to_ something. I never got there, though. Mister _Inn' Competent_ picked me up and whisked me off to a new home, then to Turner's. The mere fact I left meant I 'wasn't happy' to him. It didn't matter that I intended on going back once I was done."

Luke frowned. "In...? Innes Constantin? He's your social worker, too?"

Apollo nodded. "He collected my things for me. I didn't get to see the Bonneys again, let alone say goodbye. They were probably worried sick about me when I disappeared without any explanation or warning."

"Well." Clay gripped Apollo's shoulder tightly. "All the more reason to go and see them, then. We'll _all_ go. Luke and me will be your back-up." He grinned. "YOU'RE FINE! C'mon, 'Pollo, shout it with me!"

"I'm fine," Apollo mumbled into his legs.

Clay scoffed. "Put some Chords of Steel into it!" He turned to their friend. "Luke, you show him how it's done, huh?"

Luke smiled, curling his free hand into a fist. "WE'RE FINE!"

"That's it!" Clay giggled, gently whacking Apollo's arm. "C'mon, 'Pollo!"

Apollo's hands slowly curled into fists. With a sudden motion, he straightened from his ball, shouting "I'M FINE!" as his feet hit the floor.

Clay and Luke laughed, applauding their friend. "You're fine, 'Pollo!" Clay cried.

Apollo tried to scoff, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face.

 

* * *

 

_Dear Professor Layton,_

_It's been a while since we said goodbye. How have you been? I'm all settled in and making new friends here. I am writing to you because something deeply puzzling happened when we arrived. It seems like the sort of mystery that's tailor-made for Professor Layton and his apprentice. I don't think anyone else can get to the bottom of this._

_It's difficult to explain, so forgive me if this seems confusing._

_I was asleep at the time, so I only know what happened from what people have told me. It was while we were driving into Los Angeles. Our car crashed somehow, and my mum and dad both left the car and wandered into the forest looking for help. A passer-by found the wreckage with me inside much later. The police tried looking for them, Mum and Dad I mean, but there's been no sign. It's been a week, and everything that was in the car has been given to me, like they're dead already._

_My left arm is broken. I'm surviving without it for now. It was worse this past week, when I was suffering from a concussion and forbidden from any significant reading or writing. I'm fine now though. My new friends have promised to take me all sorts of places, so I'm sure they'll never let me feel too bored. We're at a boarding school here, in the same year. I've skipped to 10th Grade, or Year 11, so they're a little older than me. Clay wants to be an astronaut, and Apollo a defence attorney. Do you think you could send me Mr. Wright's or Maya's address in your reply? I told Apollo I had an American friend who was a defence attorney, and promised to put them in touch._

_I've enclosed my current address, since I never ended up reaching our new house. Please write back as soon as you get this._

_Your friend and apprentice,_

_Luke Triton_

_3rd September, 2019_

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/158471880444/tumblr_omwptuqWdQ1uwes7q)


	13. Unconventional Bike Riding

September 5, 4:03PM  
Dormitory  
Ground Floor

 

The week had progressed rather well, as far as Luke was concerned. It was strange to get used to an actual school, though at least he was already familiar with the concept of classes in different rooms thanks to all the time he spent in Gressenheller, and he'd been set plenty of homework in his time, so he knew how to handle that. Even the classes themselves weren't all that hard, and Luke was beginning to understand why he'd been skipped forward in the first place. It was more the differences in culture he found most challenging, especially as the lone person in the room who really knew the UK-specific intricacies of the English language. So far, his largest problems had been with dates - Americans used the order month-day-year instead of day-month-year - and with spelling, though the teachers at least seemed to understand to go easy on him as he adjusted. The only one who hadn't, the gym teacher, had given Luke an intense lecture on politeness when he asked to go to the toilet before class started, leaving Luke completely baffled until Clay and Apollo explained it had been the word 'toilet' the teacher objected to. Luke was forced to make a mental note to remember to replace the word with 'restroom' next time.

Clay and Apollo had been particularly invaluable to Luke as he settled in. One or both of them was nearly always in his class, and helped fend off prying questions from his new classmates or explain things Luke had missed thanks to his late arrival. After his first day of school, Wednesday, they took him up to the school's computer lab, where they looked up the Bonney family's address on an online directory, then the best route on how to get there. Apollo squirmed the whole time, but he didn't complain, staying remarkably silent as they copied down the map, while over his head Clay and Luke enthusiastically discussed how happy the Bonneys would be to see them.

Thursday came, and the boys again met up in the dormitory after their final class. They waited for the local students and their parents to all gradually disappear from the school before making their move to leave. Luke spent the time doing homework, preparing his satchel for the trip, and replacing his beloved cap on his head. When he met up with his friends, Apollo was fidgeting nervously with his bracelet on his wrist, but he didn't complain as Clay slapped his back with a laugh, announcing "Let's do this, huh?"

Nancy was waving off another group of teens as Clay, Luke and Apollo approached, and gave the three a smile. "Hello, dears. Did you want something?"

Clay waved. "Nanny Kay! Can we take out some bikes?"

"Two, specifically." Luke held up three fingers with a grin. "And three helmets."

Nancy looked between the trio suspiciously. "May I ask what you're planning to do with the extra helmet?"

"Oh, that's easy," Clay scoffed, waving off her concern. "Luke obviously can't ride a bike himself with a broken arm, so he's just going to sit on the back of mine. That's okay, isn't it?"

Nancy stared at him a moment, then turned her attention to Luke, studying him curiously. She hummed in thought, then, still frowning, turned and headed towards the storage room. She waved for the boys to follow. "Come in here a moment."

The storage room was at the side of the dormitory building, close to the classrooms, and capable of opening towards the outside through a metal rolling door; Luke couldn't help thinking of it as a garage, despite the lack of any cars. Mostly, it held spare sports equipment, but several bicycles took up the far side of the room, ranging from adult-size to just small enough for the youngest of the school's students. On the wall behind them was a rack of metal shelves, on which a similar number and range of helmets were kept. Nancy slipped past a wheeled scoreboard towards the stash, picking through to the larger bikes before pulling one out. She briefly paused to beckon the boys closer, "You two fetch some helmets, will you?", then dragged her chosen bicycle to the rolling door, which she opened with a shuddering clatter.

Luke was forced to take off his cap, and shoved the item carefully into his satchel before picking out a helmet that fit him. Without his left arm to help secure it, he was forced to turn to Apollo to clip it together and tighten the strap. In the meantime, Clay had jumped straight for one helmet in particular, slotting it nicely on his mop of black hair so that his ever-present visor still stuck out underneath. He shot his friends a grin before running outside after Nancy, and they found her waiting not far away, bike in hand.

"Alright Clay, if you say you can comfortably carry Luke's weight." Nancy gestured pointedly at the bike. "Let's do some circuits of the courtyard, shall we?"

Clay snorted, brushing invisible dust off his uniform. "No problem, Nanny Kay." He took the bicycle's handles, swinging a leg over the body. "Luke, jump on!"

Luke gave the bike a thorough study. It seemed like a perfectly normal manual bicycle, with pedals and brakes and two wheels with mudguards. Reflectors were interspersed through the spokes of both wheels, with an extra on the back of the rear wheel's mudguard. Said rear wheel had a rack over the top of it, supported by a few extra beams of the frame. It would be an uncomfortable seat for sure, but if Nancy thought it would support his weight, Luke decided it was worth a shot. He stepped forward, placing a hand on the grating. After another moment of thought, he propped one foot up against the frame around the cogs of the back wheel, and plonked his buttocks firmly on the rack, right behind the saddle. It wasn't comfortable, but he could deal with it. "Okay. I think this is okay."

Clay chuckled. "Hold on to me, dude. I've gotta get on the seat now." Once Luke's right arm had curled around Clay's chest, the bike tipped to one side suddenly, and Luke clung even tighter in fright as the elder boy lifted himself onto the saddle, the bike remaining at an uncomfortable angle. "Got it!"

"Are you two sure you will be alright doing this?" Nancy asked, watching with a concerned frown. "You're sure there aren't any buses you can take to wherever you're going?"

Apollo shook his head. "There aren't. We could walk, but it would take forever."

"It's not like we're going to the Space Center," Clay scoffed, lifting a foot onto the pedals. "Well, not _yet_ , anyway." He grinned, and before Apollo could object, he was off.

Luke tried not to squeak in surprise, his one able arm clinging tightly to the front of his friend's uniform as the bike finally straightened. It took a little while for Clay to build up speed, circling the courtyard, and though the handles seemed to jerk at first as Clay guided their vehicle into a turn, he quickly adjusted to the extra weight at his back, laughing as he pumped at the pedals. "See? Toldya it would be easy!"

With his arm wrapped around Clay's chest, Luke was acutely aware of how hard his friend was breathing as he worked to keep them moving, and doubted it was as smooth as Clay implied. Regardless, he'd gotten used to the strange set-up, and admitted he could probably put up with it for as long as it would take to reach the Bonneys again. "Y-yeah. Yeah, this is okay." _(Besides, I've lived through worse. The broken arm proves it.)_

When Clay pulled up by Nancy and Apollo, the bike once more tipped over, but Luke was prepared this time, throwing out a leg and just managing to reach the asphalt with his toes. He kept a tight grip on his friend anyway.

Clay grinned. "So it's okay for us to go out, isn't it, Nanny Kay?"

Nancy sighed. "If the both of you are comfortable with that little arrangement...?" She raised a questioning eyebrow at Luke.

Luke giggled. "We'll be alright, Nancy."

"Yeah, it's not like Luke's _heavy_ or anything." Clay snickered. "I could easily take him to the Space Center this way, no problem!"

Apollo narrowed his eyes at his friend, arms crossed. "Oh really."

Nancy still looked uncomfortable, but decided to let the trio go ahead with their plan. "Alright then." She turned to Apollo. "We'll get _you_ a bike and helmet, then the three of you can be off."

 

* * *

 

It took about twenty minutes of weaving through traffic and onto quiet suburban roads to get to the Bonneys' house. Clay had been the one to memorise the route, so he lead the way, every so often asking Luke, "'Pollo's still behind us?" Luke would glance behind to check, confirming every time, "He is."

Luke regretted as they got closer that he had been too distracted by the sight of his parents' suitcases to pay any attention to the view out the window as he left... and he hadn't exactly been looking on the various trips to and from the hospital, either. Nothing seemed familiar to him in the slightest, every house and every street blending together in their sameness. He was finding it hard to remember what the Bonneys' home looked like from outside at all.

As they approached an intersection, Clay pulled over to the side of the road, placing the bike in the gutter so Luke would be able to prop himself up against the kerb when the bike inevitably tipped to one side. "Hang on, I want to check we're going the right way." He reached into his pocket to pull out their map.

Apollo slowed to a stop next to them. He frowned, his eyes studying the street around them.

Luke watched his friend with concern. "Are you okay, Apollo?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Apollo muttered, still staring at the houses. "I know this street." Before either of his friends could question him, his feet were back on the pedals, zooming off ahead.

"Hey, wait!" Clay shouted, shoving the map back in his pocket to follow.

Luke peered over Clay's shoulder as best he could, catching glimpses of Apollo's back as he determinedly followed a path only he knew. They turned a corner, sped down a road, then turned another corner, until finally Clay slammed on his brakes with a screech, nearly knocking Luke clean off the rack as they pulled to a sudden stop at the side of the road, Luke only just catching himself against the kerb with a grunt.

Apollo was stopped right in front of them, staring up at the red brick house on their right.

Luke instantly recognised said house as belonging to the Bonney family.

Standing on the front porch, keys in her hand and bag on her back, was a stunned Kerensa, staring right back at Apollo.

They'd arrived.


	14. Foster Family Reunion

September 5, 4:39PM  
Bonney Family Home  
Outside

 

Luke quickly sashayed himself backwards off Clay's bike, trying not to look as awkward as he felt. "Kerensa!" He quickly found his footing in the grass, shooting a grin between Apollo and Kerensa as the pair finally broke their eye contact to turn to their mutual friend. "I hope you don't mind I came to visit so soon. I brought my new friends, too!"

Apollo turned red, fidgeting with the bike handles still in his grip.

Kerensa glanced back and forth between the two for a moment, before smiling widely at Luke. "Oh, I don't mind." She stuffed her keys in a pocket, stepping off the porch to approach the trio. "It's unexpected, but I think Mom and Dad will be happy to have you."

"You're sure about that?" Apollo mumbled.

"Of course I'm sure." Kerensa pulled her keys back out of her pocket, gesturing to the nearby driveway. "C'mon, I'll open up the garage for you to store your bikes."

Clay chuckled, stepping off his own bike onto the road. "Awful nice of ya, Ms Bonney!" He dashed forward, nudging Apollo as he passed. "C'mon, 'Pollo! This was about _you_ , wasn't it?"

"And _Luke_ ," Apollo grumbled. Nonetheless, he followed his friend up the driveway as the garage door rattled open.

Kerensa showed the trio a place to stow their bikes between the family car and her father's motorbike, and Clay and Apollo didn't pause before kicking out the stands and placing the bicycles where she indicated.

As Apollo and Clay reached up to unclip their helmets, Apollo turned to the watching Luke. "You need help getting your helmet off?"

"No, I think I'll be alright. Thank you, though." Luke gave his friend a smile, and indeed it wasn't too hard to unclip the strap and remove his protective gear. Once he'd handed the helmet over to Clay to place on the bike, he was sure to dig around in his satchel for his hat.

Apollo ran a hand through his hair now it was freed of his headgear, pulling his flattened spikes back up into place. Clay didn't take long to notice, snickering, "Your hair's fine, 'Pollo." Apollo shot him a glare, whacking Clay's arm without a word.

Kerensa giggled, leading them through to the door inside with barely-restrained glee. "C'mon, we gotta tell everyone-!"

"Kerensa?"

The young woman paused, her hands gripping the straps of her backpack. "Oh, hey Mom!"

The door leading into the house opened, revealing Willow leaning casually against the doorframe. "Why on God's green earth are you coming in through the...?" She paused, noticing the three boys with no small amount of confusion.

"We have some visitors." Kerensa proudly gestured to the boys. "Some former foster kids."

Luke waved. "Hello again, Willow!"

Willow blinked as she registered Luke, then her eyes brushed over Clay and settled on Apollo, widening in recognition. "Is that...?"

Apollo went red, managing only a very small wave. "H-hi..."

Willow gasped, her hands to her mouth. It took her barely a moment to cross the short distance between them and pull Apollo into a tight hug, his face pressed to her chest. "Oh little Apollo, we were so worried about you when you just ran off like that! If something was the matter, why didn't you talk to us? We would have been happy to help, however we could!"

Apollo's eyes squeezed shut, his hands clinging to Willow's shirt. "I'm sorry... I didn't want to leave, honest. I'm so sorry..."

"Don't you worry," Willow whispered, patting the back of his head. "All is forgiven." She met Luke's gaze with teary eyes. "I imagine this was your doing, Luke."

Luke grinned. "Not at all. We all agreed to come here separately. I just suggested the idea."

Laughing, Clay looped an arm over the younger boy's shoulders. "Man, you're just infuriatingly modest, huh?"

Apollo pulled away from Willow, quickly wiping his eyes. "Well, I'm glad you guys talked me into it anyway." He gave his friends a small smile. "Thanks."

Clay scoffed, waving off the compliment. "Anything for a friend, dude."

" _Now_ who's being modest?" Luke pointed out with a grin.

Kerensa squealed, then pulled Apollo from her mother's grip to give him a hug of her own. "I'm so glad you're back!" She met Willow's eyes with a grin. "Where's Dad? He's home by now, right?"

"Of course he is," Willow chuckled, waving her daughter and the three boys into the house. "He's in the kitchen with Noah."

"Oh, I almost forgot about Noah!" Luke giggled, slipping out of Clay's grasp and rushing for the door. "I'll keep him busy so you can have a foster-family-reunion, Apollo!"

Apollo blushed, rubbing the back of his head. "Right..."

 

* * *

 

Apollo was dreading, when he once more came face-to-face with Ryder, that the tall man would immediately envelop the teen in a suffocating bear hug. He tried not to look too relieved when instead Ryder simply looked Apollo up and down, smiled, then patted the teen's shoulder twice.

"It's good to have you back."

True to his word, Luke had run straight for a five-year-old boy who seemed happy to see him, and the pair disappeared off upstairs. From the sound of their voices, Apollo guessed they were in his old bedroom. _(It'll be the kid's room now, I s'pose. I wonder if they ever repainted the red wall?)_

As the rest of the family headed into the dining room, Apollo noticed Clay hanging around awkwardly, and grabbed his friend's arm. "C'mon then, you can stick with me."

Clay grinned, though he was clearly relieved. "Thanks, dude."

Sat around the large table, Apollo was struck by all the memories coming back to him. A fair amount had struck him when he recognised the streets they were travelling down, and again when he saw the house and Kerensa herself, but there were so many more once he'd come inside. He couldn't be too surprised - he'd spent three years here, after all - but he'd been considering the point between last leaving the Bonneys and first arriving at Turner's to be a 'new beginning', with anything before it being associated with _that place_ he had sworn to never think of again. It didn't help he'd been doing the exact opposite of not-thinking-about-it for most of his stay here, intrinsically linking the two so tightly in his brain that it had felt wrong from the start to be coming back here after so long... But, unlike _that place_ , the regrets associated with leaving had nothing to do with the family he'd left. In fact, although it was dangerous territory regarding the promise he'd made to himself, and the reminders of _that place_ etched into every piece of furniture... he was glad he'd taken the chance to come back when it was offered.

The inevitable topic was the first thing to be breeched once they'd sat down. Kerensa fixed the teen with a curious look, placing her backpack on the floor at her feet. "So, Apollo... Why _did_ you leave?"

Apollo guiltily avoided the young woman's eyes. "It wasn't that I was 'leaving', really... I always meant to come back. When I was done."

"Yes, we read your note," Willow sighed, her hand in Ryder's. " 'Gone out, will be back soon'. Wouldn't have worried me at all had I not found it on your perfectly made bed first thing in the morning..."

"Hey, maybe _I_ oughta try that sometime," Clay muttered.

Apollo shot his friend a glare. "Not funny, Clay."

Clay scoffed. "What? It's not like my dad would _care_."

Sighing, Apollo decided to ignore his friend, returning his attention to the Bonneys. "I... had someone I wanted to check on. Someone I used to care about an awful lot. All I wanted to do was go find them, then come right back. I just..." He paused, musing on his words. "I just never got that far. Constantin picked me up outside the airport."

"The airport?" Clay repeated, confused.

Willow sighed knowingly. "Oh... You were trying to go back to-?"

"Yeah, I was," Apollo hurriedly interrupted, unable to hide the bitter look on his face. "I know better than to try _that_ again."

Willow and Ryder shared a confused look. Clay looked like he wanted to ask a question of his own, but kept it to himself.

"What made it worse is how Constantin acted, like I should have _expected_ to not come back here when he grabbed me." Apollo restrained a disgusted snort. "I didn't even know what was going on until he'd dumped me at a new place and went off to retrieve my things _without me_ , all the while ignoring my begging to let me come back. He just _didn't care_."

Kerensa nodded, frowning with determination. "I _knew_ you didn't leave because you were unhappy. I _knew_ that was complete bullsh-"

" _Kerensa_!"

The young woman waved off her father's warning. "Anyway. I knew that guy was lying."

Ryder shook his head at his daughter, then turned to Apollo. "Mister Constantin was very clear with us when he showed up after we reported you missing. 'The highest priority is the safety of the child, and running away is a clear indication the child feels unsafe and must be moved'. Either that, or you simply weren't happy, and it was in your best interests to be moved anyway."

"All he would tell us was that you'd been picked up, safe and sound," Willow added. "We had to undergo another test to ensure we were a suitable foster family... It was very difficult for all of us." She gave Apollo a tearful smile. "But I'm glad you've come back. Even if it's not like the old days, it helps to at least know _why_ everything happened the way it did."

Apollo only felt even more guilty. "I'm... sorry for causing so much trouble. Honestly, I had no idea-"

"Obviously you didn't," Kerensa chuckled. "We always knew you wouldn't have done all that for no reason. Honestly, I don't blame you for wanting to check on an old friend. Though," she gave him a wry smile, "there were better ways to try and do that, huh?"

Apollo nodded, avoiding her eyes. He tried and failed to squash the bitterness said 'old friend' always ignited in his heart.

Clay looked like he _very much_ wanted to ask a question... but he kept it to himself.


	15. Friends Old and New

September 5, 4:51PM  
Bonney Family Home  
Outside

 

Apollo never noticed the time passing as he told the Bonneys about his life and they told him of their lives since his sudden departure. He wasn't surprised to hear Kerensa was going to college now, studying to be a nurse. Willow's business was continuing to improve, though she still only worked weekends and afternoons so she would never be out at the same time as Ryder. Ryder himself was still where he'd always been at the local elementary school, but he was happy there, so Apollo wasn't about to be disappointed. Clay had chimed in frequently as Apollo spoke about Turner's and how he came to befriend Luke, but Apollo didn't mind so much; Clay got along well with the Bonneys once he got over the awkwardness of being the fifth wheel.

Eventually, even Luke and the five-year-old - Noah, Apollo was told - grew tired of being left out and joined the group where they'd migrated out to the backyard, circling the rabbit hutch. Noah paid Apollo very little attention, happy to instead talk to his foster family as he requested attention for himself.

Ryder looked at his watch, petting the rabbit in his lap. "I think it's about time you boys got back to school, isn't it?"

Clay shrugged. "Probably." He turned to Luke with a grin. "Ready to hop back on my bike?"

Luke thought a moment, then nodded. "I think I'm ready. It's easier to climb up with the kerb as a boost."

"Wait, how are you three getting back?" Willow stood from where she'd settled in the grass, frowning in concern. "Surely you aren't capable of riding a bicycle, Luke."

"He's sitting on the back of mine," Clay boasted, arms behind his head. "He's got a helmet, and Nanny Kay approved it. Luke's really light, too. We're taking him to the Space Center this way on Saturday!"

Apollo scoffed, moving to replace his beloved Artemis in the rabbit enclosure. "You're still going on about that?"

"Didn't hear you complaining earlier."

"That's only because you were ignoring me."

Luke held up his free hand. "Guys, I'm fine sitting behind Clay. It's not all that uncomfortable, and I can still hold on with one arm, right?"

Ryder sighed, getting to his feet and putting his own rabbit away. "Alright, I'm not comfortable letting you three leave with such a precarious method of travel. C'mon Luke, you're with me this time."

 

Once they got back to the garage, Ryder gave Apollo's and Clay's bikes a quick inspection before scoffing and giving them a reluctant pass. "I've seen better push-bikes, but they're serviceable." He then pulled out his motorbike and a side-car, which he set about firmly attaching together. "I'll get out a proper helmet for you, Luke. That one isn't adequate for this."

While they were waiting, Willow passed Apollo one of her business cards, then pulled Apollo into another hug. "You'll come visit again sometime, won't you? And keep in touch, so we know to expect you in future."

Apollo laughed as the woman released him. "Yeah, I'll try not to appear out of nowhere next time..."

Kerensa scurried up with a slip of paper, a pen clutched tightly in her other hand. "Here." She shoved the paper into Apollo's palm, giving him a solemn stare. "My cell number. Make sure to call me at least once a month, okay? Promise me."

Chuckling, Apollo gave the number a glance before securing it and Willow's business card in his pocket. "I promise. Nanny Kay lets us borrow her phone, actually... I've just never had a need to before."

All too soon, Ryder was ready to go, directing the three boys and their two bikes out onto the road. "Now, do you two know the way back on your own?"

Clay grinned, waving their map. "Easy! We just go back the way we came!"

Apollo snorted, but gave the man a nod. "Sure. It's not too far."

"Good." Ryder pointed Luke into the side-car. "We'll be travelling too fast to stay near you, but I'll stay at the school to make sure you get back."

Luke adjusted the heavy motorbike helmet on his head as he settled in the extra seat. The helmet he'd worn on the journey there was clipped to the rack on the back of Clay's bike, secure for the return trip. Although it was clearly difficult for the younger boy to arrange himself with only one hand, he made sure to give his friends a cheery wave. "I'll see you guys back at school!"

"Gotcha!" With a laugh, Clay kicked up the stand of his bike and took off down the road. "C'mon 'Pollo, you slowpoke!"

"Hey!" Struggling not to grumble, Apollo quickly jumped on his own bike to follow. "At least warn me first!"

 

Ryder's motorbike had passed them with a roar not long after they left the Bonneys, Luke waving from the side-car. Apollo had smiled, happy to take his time with Clay, though his friend grumbled something about Luke going faster and sped up. The pair didn't talk, focussed on staying together and on dodging cars in the suburban streets... then, once they got into the denser city buildings, dodging pedestrians on the pavement. It wasn't until they were within sight of the tall dormitory of Turner School that Clay slowed enough to sit at Apollo's side, lazily weaving back and forth across the empty path.

"So, 'Pollo... What's this about an 'old friend' you were running off to check on?"

Apollo felt his hackles rise. "What about them? It's just someone I used to know a long time ago."

Clay scoffed. "C'mon, dude. Who were they? Did they move away or something?"

"No, they didn't-" Apollo cut himself off with a groan, and snapped, "Look, I just lost touch with them, okay? It doesn't matter."

Clay paused in his weaving, watching his friend with a concerned look. "Alright. I'm sorry, man. I was just curious."

Apollo kept his eyes firmly ahead, though it took a while to calm his glare.

Finally, the two bikes turned the corner and arrived at the school's front gate, where they found a parked motorbike waiting. Luke stood nearby with Ryder, and was the first to spot the approaching boys, waving with a wide grin as he ran to meet them. "You made it!"

Clay laughed as he slowed to a stop. "Course we made it! Where did you think we'd go, dude?"

Luke giggled, scratching at the back of his head. "Uh, yeah..."

Apollo managed a smile as he rested his feet on the pedals, coasting to a halt. "Why are you waiting out here, Luke? You could have gone inside if you wanted."

"I didn't want Ryder to be waiting out here alone," Luke explained, gesturing to the man approaching them with a smile. The boy then sheepishly fiddled with his satchel strap. "Oh, and... I wasn't sure if the receptionist would let me in alone."

Clay snickered. "Ol' Hugo? He'll let anyone in, dude. It's getting _out_ that's a problem."

Apollo rolled his eyes.

"Well, as long as you three are safe and sound, I'm happy." Ryder turned his attention to Apollo. "Do keep in touch, won't you?"

"Sure." Apollo patted his pocket. "I have your address, Willow's number, and Kerensa's number. I'll definitely call you guys sometime."

"Good." Ryder smiled, his helmet tucked under an arm. "You may not be 'proper' family, Apollo... but we'll always consider you one of us. Don't run off again, huh?"

Apollo grinned. "I promise."

"We'll come back and visit one day," Luke added. "That would be okay, wouldn't it?"

Ryder chuckled. "Of course."

Clay kicked out the stand on his bike, then jumped to Luke's side, throwing his arm over the younger boy's shoulders. "Well, now we've done that, we can look forward to the Space Center on Saturday, Luke! It's gonna be _amazing_!"

"It certainly sounds interesting!" Luke agreed.

Apollo sighed. "You're still planning on carrying him all the way there? It's unsafe, Clay."

"Nanny Kay didn't think so." Clay snorted. "Besides, how else are we gonna get there? They don't have buses yet, dude."

"Just because _Nanny Kay_ let us go to the Bonneys like that, it doesn't mean-!"

Clay waved him off. "You're just a spoilsport, 'Pollo. We'll be fine. Where's your sense of adventure?"

Apollo groaned, pressing a hand to his face.

Luke hummed in thought, tapping his chin. "It _is_ an adventure, isn't it? Of a mundane sort."

Clay jumped away from Luke with an offended glare. "Mundane!? The Space Center isn't _mundane_!"

"N-no, I didn't mean it that way!" Luke held up his free hand, quickly back-pedalling. "It's just, compared to other things I've done in the past-!"

Clay scoffed, arms crossed. "Well, this settles it. You _have_ to come see the Space Center, just to prove it's not 'mundane'!" He threw out his hands with a smirk. "This is _space travel_ we're talking about! They've already got plans in motion to send someone out past the atmosphere as early as next year!"

Luke nodded. "Th-that's definitely very interesting, Clay, but-"

"And you've got to meet that new robot they've finished building!" Clay's hands tightened into fists, held high with pride. "They're preparing for the inevitable future, of people actually _living_ in space and colonising other planets, and-!"

"Okay, okay," Ryder laughed. "I think I'd better get going. I can't offer myself as a taxi service, so I'll have to trust you three to look after yourselves." He slipped his helmet back onto his head.

"We will." Apollo gave the man a wave. "Until next time, Ryder."

Shooting the boy a grin, Ryder turned and headed back to his motorbike. "We'll see you boys again then."

"It was nice meeting you, Mister Bonney!" Clay called, waving.

"See you later!" Luke added.

Ryder waved back as he kicked his motorbike into gear. "Call us soon!" With that, he zoomed off down the street, disappearing back into the city.

 

* * *

 

"Ms Order! Please tell me it's good news..."

"Hahaha, hello Mister Wright! Don't worry, I happen to have some news for you."

"Is it _good_ news?"

"... I've talked my colleague into handing over Luke's case."

"...!"

"It should all be finalised over the weekend, and, as his new social worker, it would naturally be a good idea for me to meet with my new charge. Say, Tuesday?"

"Not Monday?"

"I'll have to speak to the school on Monday. They require a day's notice before sudden visits."

"... Right. Okay then. Tuesday it is. ... So, where _is_ Luke? Why does his school need to know?"

"Now now, Mister Wright, if I told you where he was, you'd head straight there on your own. I'll contact you again on Monday with a place for us to meet up, then I take you there on Tuesday. Is that understood?"

"I'm not a child. I can be patient."

"Mm hmm."

"*sigh* ... I'll hear from you Monday, then."

"Until then, Mister Wright."

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/159562565329/tumblr_ooeevt4ZVB1uwes7q)


	16. Cosmos Space Center

September 7, 10:20AM  
Cosmos Space Center

 

The weekend had come very quickly. Just as when they went to see the Bonneys, the three boys took out a couple of bikes and a helmet each from Nanny Kay's store, Luke perched on the back of Clay's, then they set off on a path Clay and Apollo knew very well. Luke simply clung to Clay's back, eyes on the passing scenery. As he watched, the tall city buildings became short, and then thinned out and eventually gave way to forest and disappeared completely. There was an incline as the two bikes climbed a series of hills, then the other boys took their feet off the pedals and coasted down the other side.

"Hey Luke, look!" Clay called, then laughed. "Look look, Luke Luke!"

Luke decided not to react to Clay's discovery of a word that sounded like his name, instead peering over the older boy's shoulder as the forest came to an end.

A large, cylindrical building with a spherical top, bigger and taller than Luke had any ability to estimate from this distance, sat in the centre of a grassy valley, the slopes on all sides coated with autumn foliage of the woods all around. A paved path encircled the building and extended off the back, a path with twin rails inside etched into its middle. Two rocket-ship-like towers stood on either side, connected to the main building through walkways high off the ground. The road they were travelling on wound its way to the front of the complex, where a small out-building squatted next to an equally small car park area.

Luke gasped. "And a place like this is only a bike ride away from Los Angeles?"

Clay laughed. "Yeah, amazing, isn't it? Just wait 'til I introduce you to Mister Starbuck!"

The two bikes sped down the last slope to the wide plain their destination called home, coasting most of the way to the car park before Clay and Apollo were forced to continue pedalling. As they pulled up by the small outbuilding - an unmanned help desk inside a plain, white box, especially boring when compared to the grandeur of the complex beyond - Clay made sure to stop by the kerb, giving Luke a much-needed step to help him wriggle off the back of the bike. Apollo picked up some speed and bounced his bike up onto the footpath, only then braking to a stop and swinging off the seat to walk up to the help-desk. As Luke watched, Apollo rested his bike against the wall, ensured it was firmly in place, then took off his helmet.

Luke's eyes widened. "You're just leaving your bike out in the open? Right there?"

Apollo nodded, clipping his helmet around the handlebars. "It's not like there's anyone out here to steal it."

Clay laughed, getting off his own bike to copy his friend. "We do this all the time, dude. Nothing's gonna happen."

Luke doubted that, but decided to try and trust his friends' experience.

 

Free of their bikes and helmets, the three boys headed down the path towards the centrepiece attraction of the complex. It was a long road, so Luke had plenty of time to admire the cylindrical building ahead: The white paint that covered most of it shone in the light, almost more than the blue glass that formed strips of windows all around the sides. On top, where the roof formed a semi-spherical cap to the whole thing, were several small radar and satellite dishes that all pointed off in different directions. Splitting off diagonally from the main building were four gold-capped spurs, which Luke took several seconds to recognise as resembling the fins of a classic rocket ship. The entrance was a curved wall of glass between the two spurs pointed towards the car park area, with the words "COSMOS SPACE CENTER" proudly displayed above. Even higher than that was a circular blue logo, 'GYAXA', with the middle 'A' red and stylised into a spaceship. Looking at the two towers from closer-up, he supposed they were probably capable of actually opening up to reveal inside them the very real spacecraft they resembled.

Luke had to admit, whoever designed this building had known exactly how they were theming it from the start.

Clay slapped a hand against Luke's back. "There's all sorts of incredible stuff here. Actual rockets and satellites. Research labs. Training facilities. People live here, too."

"We're not allowed anywhere above the third floor without an escort," Apollo added. "They don't want us in the way of the labs or the living quarters."

"We're allowed everywhere else, though!" Clay laughed, gesturing to the building looming just ahead. After a pause, he frowned. "And the robotics scientists always know if we try to break the rules and sneak up anyway. I think they have a hidden camera set up outside the elevator or something."

Luke was reminded of his not-too-long-ago adventure in Future London, musing aloud, "Or maybe an infrared sensor..."

Clay shrugged. "Eh, whatever." With a grin, he raced ahead of his friends to the glass doors, standing with arms held wide and his back to the glass. At he got close, the doors leading inside automatically slid open with a soft whoosh. "Luke Triton... Welcome to the Cosmos Space Center!" With a wink, Clay promptly walked backwards into the reception area beyond.

Apollo sighed, pressing a hand to his face.

Luke couldn't help but be charmed, walking confidently forward with a soft giggle to follow his friend.

Much like the outside, the foyer of Cosmos Space Center most resembled a spaceship in design, with clean lines, shining white paint, and an over-abundance of curves. Holographic screens dotted the walls, showing slideshows of space-related imagery. Looking up, the ceiling encompassed the next two floors, the expanse containing metal walkways that curved around (mirroring the outer wall, though the two never touched) to connect doors on either side to a bank of lifts in the centre of the building. Said column of lifts descended down behind a circular reception desk, inside which sat only a thin chair. From the lower of the two walkways, metal staircases spiralled down to hover just above the floor, almost as if they were hesitant to touch the futuristic room beneath them.

Apollo scratched his head as he came in behind Luke, the doors sliding closed. "Huh, Missus Racer isn't here. I thought for sure we'd figured out her pattern."

Clay's grin widened. "You owe me five bucks, then."

Sighing, Apollo nodded. "I'll make a note of that. When we get back to school."

Above them, Luke heard the swoosh of an opening door, followed by the rattle of footsteps on the metal walkways. "Aha! I _thought_ I heard you two coming in!"

The three boys promptly looked up, Clay waving towards the noise. "Mister Starbuck! We brought a new friend today!"

"Oh?" The rattling moved towards the lifts, giving Luke only a glimpse of blue from the person causing it. "Hang on, I'll be down in a sec."

As one of the four lifts shuddered into motion, Clay waved for his friends to follow him, "C'mon!", and dashed around the circular desk to meet it. Luke and Apollo looked at each other, Apollo shrugged, then they ran after him.

When the doors slid open, Luke finally got a good look at the man he had heard so much about through Clay's raving, and it seemed _he_ was equally curious about Luke. The man was taller than them, bright red hair falling in a mop from the top of his head, though the sides were shaved and showed the brown of his natural colour. He wore a simple blue jumpsuit and a slightly more ornate blue jacket with a high collar, his hands loosely on his hips as grey eyes inspected the injured boy before him. "Well, _you've_ certainly seen better days, haven't you?" He smiled. "You a little brother, or something?"

Apollo gently patted Luke's shoulder, taking care with the side he knew was still healing. "This is Luke. He's in our grade at school. Transferred in this week."

Clay snickered. "Skipped a few grades, though."

"I was in a car accident recently." Luke held out his hand to shake. "You must be Mister Starbuck. Clay's told me a lot about you."

Starbuck laughed, taking the boy's hand in greeting. "That's me, Solomon Starbuck. Friends call me 'Sol'. Nice to meet you, Luke."

Clay frowned, fists held up. "Mister Starbuck, Luke said coming to the Space Center would be _mundane_. Can you believe that!?"

Luke shook his head. "No, Clay, I-I didn't mean it like that!"

Starbuck seemed amused, though he raised his eyebrows in mock horror. "Really? Well, _that_ won't do."

"You _bet_ it won't!" Clay nudged Luke's arm, keeping his eyes on Starbuck. "We gotta show him how awesome this place is!"

"I never said I didn't think it would be interesting here!"

Starbuck hummed in thought, hands on his hips. "I think we can do that."

"Why isn't anyone listening to me!?"

The man stepped away from the lift doors, allowing them to finally close, and waved the three boys towards a nearby door. "Let's do the tour then, for little Luke here! Don't know how it'll compare to the excitement of a car accident, but we can try, huh?"

Clay scoffed, hurrying after. " _Nothing_ can compare to space travel!"

Apollo just hid laughter as he followed.

Luke sighed. "As long as there are no giant mechas or archaeological ruins..."

 

As Starbuck showed the three boys (primarily Luke) around, Luke slowly realised Clay's boasting about his mentor hadn't been for nothing. The two were very similar, with deep passions for space and space travel, and their bragging about the rocket Starbuck was set to man into the atmosphere in a year or so. They were shown every room of the centre, up until they got to the third floor, pausing on the small landing that connected the four lifts. Amazingly, there were almost no staircases in the building at all, the designers preferring residents to exclusively use the four lifts to travel up and down. Luke thought it was a terrible hazard should the worst happen, but decided not to comment.

"Now, this is where the walkways to the launchpads are, so it's highly restricted," Starbuck explained, pointing to the three rooms around them, connected via the metal walkway Luke had seen from below. "The tour in general will be truncated from this point, at least. I can show you one of the boarding lounges here, but the control room and the launch pads themselves are strictly off-limits."

Luke looked to the ceiling above them, remembering Apollo's words before they came in. "Like the floors above this one?"

Starbuck chuckled. "We _would_ have included this floor in the ban, but a certain someone argued this 'room' is simultaneously first, second and third floor, so..."

Luke looked to Clay, only to see his friend snickering and shooting glances over Luke's head. Surprised, Luke turned to find Apollo red-faced, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Apollo?"

"Our little lawyer wannabe was making a case with Director Cosmos for getting us as high as we could!" Clay grinned, moving around to slap said friend's back. "A small victory, but we won anyway, huh?"

Apollo shrugged. "W-well... I was hoping to get us up to the fourth floor too, but..."

Starbuck laughed, then proceeded down the walkway, above the entrance doors below. "C'mon, we'll take a look at the boarding lounge."

The white door slid open at Starbuck's fingerprint, the group of four proceeding into a massive room that took up about a quarter of the building's total floor-space (which probably didn't say much, as Luke had quickly realised there wasn't all that much room inside this building). Other than the door they'd come in, there was another at the other end of the room with a red symbol of a satellite dish on it, and a third to their left with a blue rocket symbol. The door behind them closed, and Luke noticed it also had a symbol, a green box with people inside and arrows indicating travel up and down. Returning his attention to the room, he could see two bed-like capsules and a large mirror to his right, and above was a chair strapped into a series of metal rings, slowly spinning every which way. The far wall sported what looked like a window at first, until Luke recognised it must be some kind of holographic screen to be showing a giant seahorse roaming a purple landscape. Right in front of the screens were two tables complete with four chairs. In the middle of it all was a small red robot, no taller than Luke's chest, puttering slowly away from them. It had a strange backpack on, connected to a hose that it appeared to be using to vacuum the floor.

"Oh hey, it's Ponco!" Apollo placed a hand on Luke's back, pushing his friend forward. "Go say hi, Luke."

Clay laughed. "She won't notice you until you actually talk to her." He raised a hand to his mouth, calling, "Hello, Ponco!"

The robot paused, spinning in place to face the group as the vacuum on its back switched off. Its ovoid head featured a screen on the front that displayed a face in soft blue, dots with eyelashes over a simple mouth. The bolts on its head even resembled pigtails, and Luke had a funny feeling the horizontal placement of the roundels on its chest was very deliberate. It sat for a moment before a synthesised feminine voice buzzed from hidden speakers: "Hello, Solomon! Welcome to the Space Center, guests!" Tiny motors whirred as it glided towards them across the floor. "Welcome!"

"H-hello," Luke muttered. This was far from the first robot he'd met, but it _was_ the first that wasn't pretending to be human. It was a little refreshing, in a way.

"My name is Ponco," the robot continued. "P, O, N, C, O: Psychological Observation and Navigation Companion. Ponco! Are you sight-seeing? Are you lost? Are you looking around? Choose one! Ponco will guide you!"

Luke wasn't sure how to answer.

Starbuck chuckled. "Ponco here is the first of a new line of robots they're building up in the labs, built to understand and simulate emotions. She's only been up and running, what, four, five weeks now?"

"Ponco is twenty-nine days old!" The robot's face promptly turned green, the display changing to a bright smile as Ponco began to lean side-to-side, throwing up her arms in a cheering motion. "The experiment is a success! Other Poncos will soon be built!"

Luke almost couldn't help a fond smile. He was seeing in Ponco's place a young woman with pale blue eyes and wavy hair, smiling at him behind a yellow glow as she faded into pieces in front of him.

"That's great!" Clay shot the robot a thumbs-up. "Hey, you remember us, don't you, Ponco?"

Ponco returned to her still state, face changing back to the neutral expression and blue shade. "I remember you, Clay! I remember you, Apollo!" She crossed her arms, swaying again with an almost lost expression. "I don't know you! I don't know you!"

Luke frowned. "Is there a reason she says everything twice?"

Starbuck waved the question off. "She's talking to you. Ponco has to register people when she meets them for the first time." He turned to the robot. "Ponco, register our new friend, will you?"

Ponco again returned to her still state, face smiling. "Certainly! Commencing guest registration. Please tell me your name. A nickname is fine, too!"

Luke hesitated a moment. "Um, Luke."

"Luke, please let me get a good look at your face."

Confused, Luke pushed up the brim of his hat. On either side, his friends took small steps back to give him slightly more space.

"Registering..." Ponco whirred, facing Luke. Finally, the soft noise stopped, and Ponco's face turned green as she once more danced on the spot. "Facial registration sequence complete! We are now officially friends! Nice to meet you, Luke!"

Luke smiled back at her. "Nice to meet you too, Ponco."

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/159598701374/tumblr_oog8tr5ghZ1uwes7q)


	17. Surprise From the Ashes

September 10, 12:58PM  
Sirius Turner Boarding School for Boys  
Classroom 204

 

 _(Clay was right about Missus Major making everything boring... But even_ reading _...?)_

Luke sat slumped on his desk, all of his remaining energy directed towards counting the minutes until classes ended and lunch break began. He'd been excited for English class when it first started, being handed a new book to read he'd never heard of before - To Kill A Mockingbird, a classic according to the teacher - but each new session in that cold room had lessened his excitement more and more. It didn't help that said teacher always ended the class by having students start reading aloud the section of text she had assigned to homework... a task especially boring to a boy who had already devoured the entire book.

The current reader was Ernest Holmes, the teen who had accosted Luke in the cafeteria on his first day, and his droning monotone formed the perfect backdrop for the members of the thirty-odd class who seemed to have taken the opportunity to fall asleep... a group which included Clay, who was face-down on his desk at Luke's left. Had his left arm not been broken, Luke might have tapped his friend's leg under the desk to keep him awake; He worried reaching over with his right hand would only catch the teacher's attention and get them _both_ in trouble. Apollo hadn't been kidding when he joked on that first day that Major was 'ultra' strict.

Without warning, the door creaked open, startling half the class as they jumped to attention, eyes on the source of the noise. Major held up a hand, signalling Ernest to pause his reading, and frowned at the intrusion. "Can this not wait until after class?"

To Luke's surprise, it was Nancy who appeared in the doorway, giving Major her usual warm smile. "I didn't think two minutes mattered, Matilda." She chuckled, entering the room. "I just wanted to borrow Luke Triton from you, before the crowds all come out."

Luke's eyes widened, eyes from all over the room glancing his way. _(Me...?)_

Major frowned, looking to the boy with a sniff. After a moment or two, she nodded. "You know your homework, Triton?"

"I do, ma'am."

The woman sighed, then waved him off. "Go on, then. I'll see you next time, same as everyone else."

Luke just nodded, throwing on his satchel and grabbing the novel at his desk. He was glad he'd thought to discreetly start packing the moment they entered reading time. As he passed his friend's desk, Clay tapped Luke's arm, giving him a confused look, but Luke could only return it in kind, hurrying out of the room. Behind him, he could already hear Ernest's droning starting up again.

Nancy pulled the door closed once Luke had joined her in the hallway, smiling at the boy. "Did you forget, Luke?"

Midway through putting his book back in his satchel, Luke turned a sheepishly confused look to the woman. "Forget?"

"About this meeting with your social worker." Nancy turned to head down the hall towards the stairs. "You were only told yesterday."

Luke jumped to keep close to her heels. "I'm... sorry, Nancy, I don't remember being told anything."

Nancy blinked, her smile vanishing. "Oh? But Mister Turner said he sent you a..." She paused, frowning into the distance ahead. "Ah. _That's_ what happened." She sighed, and put back on her usual smile for her young charge. "Well, you were _supposed_ to be told yesterday that your social worker has requested to meet you today. We scheduled it over some of your lunch break. I thought I'd collect you a little early to avoid the rush."

Luke nodded. "Okay. As long as I'm not in trouble, I suppose."

Nancy just laughed.

As they climbed the stairs to the top floor, Luke wondered why Constantin would have returned so soon to meet him. Was there news of what had happened to his parents? He didn't dare hope for that, not wanting the agony of being proven wrong yet again. He still hadn't managed to touch their suitcases since shoving the objects at the foot of his bed. _(What else would he be here about, though? Has someone complained about me to him? Surely the Bonneys wouldn't have done that... The people at the space centre wouldn't even know_ how _, I suspect.)_ A small voice at the back of his head wondered if his letter to the Professor had arrived yet, and if his friend had crossed the Earth and used his famous intuition and puzzle-solving skills to contact Luke in person through his social worker.

Nancy and Luke finally reached the door marked 'Principal's Office'. The waiting room immediately inside wasn't much to look at - a small room with only a few chairs serving as furniture - and Nancy immediately headed for the plain door of opaque glass, rapping it firmly with her knuckles. "Mister Turner, I have young Triton here."

A call echoed from the other side of the thin wall: "Send him in."

Nancy gave Luke a smile, pulling open the door. "On you go, dear."

The room that served as the principal's office hadn't changed since Luke's previous visit only a week ago. It was a converted classroom, the thin wall separating office and waiting room a divider that was added later and thus gave the somewhat self-important Principal Turner an office that was smaller than all the rooms around it. Turner himself was sat behind his sturdy desk, tugging at the sleeves of his fancy purple suit. "There you are. Feel free to pull up a chair."

Luke's eyes registered the usual two chairs on the other side of the desk were both already occupied, one by a man and the other by a woman. The man he quickly recognised was most definitely not Constantin, looking somewhat bedraggled in a loose hoodie and jeans, sandals on his feet and a bright cyan beanie on his head. His face was vaguely familiar behind the thin layer of stubble, and he was watching Luke with an odd expression, an open-mouthed half-smile that had become caught up in wide-eyed shock. The woman on the other chair served a stark contrast, professional and glamorous with wavy blonde hair and a pink blouse topped off with an indigo scarf, a black pencil skirt concealing her thighs. She gave Luke a bright smile from painted lips, getting to her feet.

"No need, Mister Turner. I'll just stand."

Luke glanced around the room, clutching his broken arm to stave off the rising panic. No sign of Constantin. _(Wasn't I supposed to meet my social worker? Why isn't he here? Who are these two people!?)_

The woman held out a hand for Luke, leaning down a little to more closely match his height. "Hello there, Luke. My name's Lauren Order. I'm your new social worker."

Immediately, Luke felt a sense of relief... though he made sure to remind himself her statement still hadn't explained the appearance of the man in the other chair, a man who Luke could see in the corner of his eyes was still watching him closely. "Oh, yes, Mister Constantin mentioned someone else might be taking over my case." He forced a smile, shaking the offered hand. "It's nice to meet you, Missus Order."

Lauren scoffed, hands on her hips, though her smile betrayed the act. "That's _Miss_ Order, young man."

Luke blushed. "Um, sorry."

Chuckling, Lauren waved off the apology. "I just wanted to catch up with you so you knew what was going on. Also," she playfully rolled her eyes, "I had a certain someone on my back who wanted very badly to see you." She straightened, gesturing towards the man in the chair.

Luke's and the strange man's eyes met, the man smiling warmly in that annoyingly familiar way that Luke couldn't quite place. Luke himself just clung to the cast on his arm, studying the man for any kind of hint for how he knew Luke, or if they had even met before at all. The boy cleared his throat, trying to force a polite smile. "H-hello, sir."

The man's expression tightened for half a second, then he laughed, lazily getting to his feet. "Aw, I know I've changed a lot, but surely I'm not _that_ unrecognisable?"

Luke froze. He knew that voice.

Pulling off his beanie to reveal spiky (and rather messy) black hair, Phoenix Wright gave the boy a grin. "It's been a while, Luke."

"M-Mister Wright!" Tears springing to his eyes, Luke threw himself across the room and clung to Phoenix's hoodie, suppressing his sobs in the man's chest.

"Whoa, Luke!" Phoenix patted the boy's shoulders, leaning down a little. "You okay there?"

Luke tried to nod, though he was already shaking all over from his efforts to stem the sudden flow of tears. " 'M sorry... Making a scene..."

"No no, it's fine. I understand." Phoenix quickly shoved the beanie still in his hand into the pocket on the front of his hoodie. "It's been a while since you've seen a familiar face, huh?"

Releasing his grip on the man's jumper, Luke tried wiping at his eyes with his free arm, but it didn't seem to do much to help him stop crying.

Lauren appeared at Luke's side, between him and the principal's desk. She handed the boy a few tissues with a smile, visibly placing the box within reach on the desk.

"Thank you." Luke pressed the tissues to his eyes. Finally, he regained some control over his breathing, though the hot flush of embarrassment from being unable to do so earlier didn't leave his face.

Phoenix's hand never left Luke's shoulder, patiently offering comfort as he waited for the boy to calm. "By the way, the Professor got your letter."

Luke sniffed, pulling the tissues from his face to meet Phoenix's eyes. "He did? That's good." He idly began folding the tissues in his hand, slowly balling them up. "You live near here, Mister Wright? I didn't realise until last week I forgot to ask for your address before I left."

Phoenix chuckled. "You're lucky the Professor noticed we were about to be potential neighbours, then. We've been calling each other back and forth for two weeks now trying to find you."

"Inbetween calling _me_ ," Lauren muttered with a laugh. "As well as any other poor soul you could rope into helping, I'm sure."

Phoenix scoffed, grinning. "Please, Gumshoe went above and beyond for no reason other than the rescue of a kid."

Luke frowned. "Gumshoe...? _Detective_ Gumshoe?"

"That's him." Phoenix slipped both hands into the pocket on the front of his hoodie, smirking proudly. "An old friend of mine. It's just a shame I didn't contact him before you left the hospital. Speaking of," the smirk fell away, replaced by a concerned look, "I'm guessing you never found my note."

Luke thought a moment, then sheepishly shook his head.

Phoenix sighed. "Ah well, I guess that's just to be expected with Gumshoe. I gave him one of my business cards, with my cell number on it, and he promised to slip it into your parents' luggage before sending it back to you. It was supposed to be somewhere obvious enough you'd find it... He said something about a tag, if I remember correctly."

Luke's eyebrows pressed together as he cast his mind back to the two suitcases at the foot of his bed. "Dad's has a luggage tag... from all the excavation trips he used to take. If it's in there, I wouldn't have noticed it." A part of him felt immense relief at the thought that his parents' suitcases were passed on to him purely for the sake of a note from his friend rather than a way of definitively marking their death.

"Well, I can always give you a second one just in case," Phoenix offered.

A thought occurred to Luke, and he laughed. "Part of the reason I asked the Professor for your address in my letter... was because I wanted to introduce you to one of my friends! He wants to be a defence attorney when he grows up, just like you!"

Phoenix went pale, his eyes darting around the room. "Ah, um... he does, huh? That's... good. For him."

Luke frowned, watching his friend. After a moment, he looked around the room, confirming there was no-one else there other than the vaguely uncomfortable-looking social worker and principal. "Actually, that reminds me... Maya didn't come with you?"

Phoenix sighed. "N-no, she... She's very busy back in her village." He pressed a hand to his face. "There's no easy way to say this, Luke..."

Lauren clapped her hands together with a forced cheery smile. "Maybe we should move somewhere private to continue this discussion?" She spun on her heels to face Turner. "Is there an empty office nearby we could use, Mister Turner?"

The principal frowned, tapping his chin. "There are a few on the first floor, by the entrance. Don't know how many are empty at this exact moment."

"We could go to my room in the dormitory," Luke suggested, eyes on Phoenix. "I'd like to check if I can find that business card before you go, Mister Wright."

Turner shrugged. "If that's okay with you, Miss Order?"

Lauren pressed a finger to her lips, studying Luke and Phoenix for a long moment. Finally, she crossed her arms with a smile. "I think that's acceptable for now. Why don't you lead the way, Luke?"

Luke nodded. As he headed for the door, discreetly dropping his tissues into the bin on the way, he noticed out of the corner of his eye Phoenix retrieving his beanie from his pocket, firmly replacing the object on his head and hiding all trace of his characteristic black spikes. Luke pretended not to see, but the worry bit at the back of his brain as he plotted a route back to the dormitory that would bypass the busy cafeteria. _(There's enough bad things going on right now... Please don't let something bad have happened to Mister Wright, too...)_


	18. Triton-Wright

September 10, 1:13PM  
Dormitory  
Room 321

 

Luckily, as it was still only the very beginning of the lunch break, Luke was able to lead Lauren and Phoenix across the school grounds without attracting the notice of any of his fellow students, taking them over to the dormitory and up to his small bedroom on the third floor. "It's not very big, but it's fit for purpose." He unlocked and opened his door, then headed inside, pausing by the two suitcases at the foot of his bed. Frowning, he reached out to grab Clark's luggage tag, examining the leather object closely. Trying to ignore the two adults filing in behind him, he forced himself to open the flap without hesitation, unsure if he should expect to see his father's handwriting or typed text. To his surprise, it was neither, only a blank expanse of white card, ill-fitting in its confinement. Across the middle was scrawled a series of numbers in unfamiliar handwriting: Likely Phoenix's, the promised phone number.

Luke grinned, awkwardly slipping the card from the tag with his one available hand. "I found it, Mister Wright."

"Ah, that's good." Phoenix smiled, stood near the window. "As long as you got it eventually, I guess I can't complain."

Finally freeing the business card, Luke moved to join his friend, studying the address on the front. "Wright and Co Law Offices... If only I'd remembered to ask the Professor where you lived before I left, I could have called you right after the accident."

"Well, no use worrying about 'could haves'," Phoenix pointed out. "By the way... Gumshoe told me about the crash." He gave the boy a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents."

Luke clutched the business card tight, avoiding his friend's eyes. "It's... It's not like they're dead. Just missing." Looking at the business card, the true reason behind the delivery of the suitcases, and the man in front of him who it had pointed to all along... A renewed determination set alight in his chest. Luke turned his face up to meet Phoenix's gaze. "I don't think they _are_ dead. They can't be. I know Mum and Dad would never have just walked off into the forest like that for no reason. Something strange is going on, and I refuse to believe they're anything other than still alive."

Phoenix smiled, proud. "Now _there's_ the Luke I remember from Labyrinthia. I was beginning to worry you'd changed as much as me this past year."

Luke blushed. "Oh, uh, nothing's really changed with me, except maybe I'm a little taller."

Phoenix chuckled, eyes drifting away. "Ah, if only I could say the same. Trucy would love being higher up when I agree to give her a piggy-back ride."

"Trucy?" Luke tilted his head to one side. "Who's she?"

"My daughter." Phoenix's grin widened with amusement as Luke's eyes did the same in surprise. "Another thing that's changed since we last met." He reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out a tablet computer, something Luke remembered seeing a few times in London before his attorney friend returned home. If he remembered correctly, Phoenix called it his 'Court Record', and used it much the same way Luke used his notebook: keeping tabs on situations, objects and people to help solve cases. It had been taken from him for their brief stay in Labyrinthia, and Luke remembered Maya gleefully mocking Phoenix for nearly tearing up when he recovered it from his newly-returned suitcase as they left. While Luke was smiling at the memory, the Phoenix of the present had already unlocked the device, quickly navigating the menu with rapid taps of his finger. In moments, he was spinning the tablet around to show Luke, the screen displaying a photo of a young girl posing cheerfully for the camera with a wide grin, fists on her waist and legs held apart. "This is her."

Luke slipped the business card into a pocket of his uniform, then took the computer to get a closer look (somewhat awkwardly, without a second hand to steady his grip). The girl looked young, maybe around seven, with brown hair hanging close to her face in thin strands, framing cyan eyes. She was wearing a pinkish-red cape clipped firmly around her neck via a diamond-shaped brooch, and a black dress underneath. A pouch or bag of some kind hung off her hips below her gloved hands. Behind her was a large wooden puppet, wearing a cape the same colour as hers, a matching top hat perched on its cylindrical head. "She's cute."

Phoenix laughed. "That she is. She's just turned eight."

Luke frowned in thought, giving the photo one last look before handing the computer back to its owner. "So... you've adopted her since we last met? That's why you never mentioned her last time?"

Phoenix nodded, slipping his Court Record back into his pocket. "Her father suddenly vanished back in April... A lot like your parents did, actually."

Luke's eyes widened in surprise. He knew how unusual his situation was, so to run into someone in such similar circumstances wasn't something he'd been expecting.

"With her mother already out of the picture, Trucy was all alone. I offered to take her in and look after her... adopt her, basically... until we could find her father again." Phoenix's hands dug deep into the pockets on the front of his hoodie. "And, well... If you're willing, I'm prepared to make the same offer to you, Luke."

It took Luke a moment or two to register what Phoenix was saying. "You... You want to adopt me, Mister Wright?"

Phoenix nodded, though he looked worried. "I wanted to ask you in person instead of sending an official request through the system. And I don't want to pressure you into giving an answer immediately, so feel free to take your time thinking about it. I want to help you out any way I can, and I'll do that whether you accept or turn me down."

Luke couldn't reply, still processing the request. He wasn't sure quite what to make of it yet.

Lauren scoffed from the other end of the room, suddenly reminding the pair she was even present. "Mister Wright, honestly, if you wanted to put through an adoption request, you could have mentioned that _earlier_." She waved a hand with a smirk. "Could've had the papers prepared, or at least have scheduled this as one of the required visits!"

Luke watched her curiously. "So, if I accepted, you'd be handling the adoption, Miss Order?"

"Yup. I'm your social worker. Who else would do it?" Lauren crossed her arms with a smile. "I was Trucy's too, of course. That's how Mister Wright and I met. Not that I was expecting to ever hear from him again after her adoption was finalised."

Phoenix shrugged. "Who else could I talk to? You're the only person in the foster care system I really know."

Lauren snorted. "I'm flattered." She turned to Luke. "You get the first, last and most important say on any adoption that is offered to you. If your initial answer is 'yes', my job is then to assess your relationship with the adoptive parent through at least two supervised meetings, ensure the adoptive parent is able to provide for you, and that the home situation is safe and stable. If everything goes well," she shot them both a smirk, "and with you two it would, all that's left is a final signing and hand-over of paperwork. You'd leave state care and go to your adoptive home, end of story."

Luke mused on the new information. "If I was adopted, would I have to change my name?"

Lauren shook her head. "That's up to you. Trucy changed hers, but she also started calling Mister Wright here 'Daddy' the moment he suggested it. She's not a usual case."

Phoenix blushed, scratching at the back of his beanie. "Yeah, that was... unexpected."

Luke giggled. Already he was looking forward to meeting this girl.

"Anyway, I'll only put through an official request if you want me to," Phoenix continued to Luke. "You have my number, so... Feel free to call me any time, if you want to chat or meet up or something."

"I will, Mister Wright." Luke grinned. "I could introduce you to Apollo! He's the friend I mentioned before, who wants to be a defence attorney."

Phoenix paled, a fake grin plastered across his face. "Ah, sure... If he's up for meeting _me_... I'm, uh... My name's not exactly unknown."

Lauren hid her mouth behind a hand. "That's _one_ way of putting it."

Luke frowned, watching his friend. "Like in Labyrinthia? Is that why you're not wearing your suit?" He smiled. "Oh, I see! You're wearing a disguise, because everyone recognises you otherwise!"

Phoenix nodded, laughing nervously. "Yeah actually, that's exactly it. Everyone knows who the guy in the blue suit with the spiky hair is, so I only wear those to court."

"Okay, I understand." Luke giggled. "No wonder I didn't recognise you at first... Your disguise is really good! At least people only know you because you're a good lawyer, though. It's the same with the Professor, because he's a good archaeologist and puzzle-solver."

"Y-yeah..." Phoenix sighed, tugging the beanie tighter onto his head. "I should get going. Don't want to take up your entire lunch break, after all."

"Alright." Luke gave both adults a polite smile. "Thank you so much for coming to see me!"

Lauren waved him off with a light laugh. "My pleasure."

Phoenix nodded, already visibly more relaxed than he had been a moment ago. He gave Luke a warm smile. "Keep in touch, huh?"

Luke grinned. "I promise."


	19. The Forgin' Attorney

September 10, 1:24PM  
Sirius Turner Boarding School for Boys  
Cafeteria

 

Although the idea of being adopted by Phoenix Wright still hung over his head with nervous uncertainty, Luke couldn't help but be buoyed at having seen his friend again. After so long without a familiar face, it felt like the universe was reminding him the world he used to know was still out there, unchanged, and he didn't have to fret that he would lose total contact with all the people who lived there. It was immensely reassuring that, despite all the unexpected changes of his life he was still getting used to, he had friends both old and new to help him through it.

By now, most of the students had filed out of the cafeteria and into the courtyard. After waving Phoenix and Lauren off at the dormitory door, no longer caring who saw them, Luke ran across to the classrooms to find Apollo and Clay, certain they would have waited for him there. Sure enough, once he arrived in the half-empty cafeteria, Luke almost immediately heard a raspy shout from across the hall.

"Luke! Over here!"

At the end of a table near the middle of the room sat the two teens, empty trays sitting in front of them. Apollo had stood up, waving to his friend. Luke grinned and waved back, then hurried to get his food.

Clay sighed in exasperation as Luke finally slipped into the seat next to Apollo, tray of food balanced in his hand. " _Finally_! What took you so long? And what did Nanny Kay need you for, anyway?"

Luke grinned, grabbing a simple slice of toast that made up most of his meal. "My new social worker came to see me."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "How'd you manage to get rid of Mister Inn' Competent?"

Luke swallowed the big bite of his food he'd just taken, then sheepishly admitted, "Um, _I_ didn't, actually. A friend of mine found out what had happened and asked a friend of _his_ who works as a social worker to take over my case. He didn't know how else to find me." He took another bite of his toast.

Clay and Apollo exchanged a wide-eyed look. "Wow," Clay muttered. "You have friends in high places."

"I didn't know you had friends here _at all_ ," Apollo agreed. "You just moved here. The only people we really know outside these walls are the Bonneys and the people at the Space Center."

"I didn't know either." Luke gave his friend a smile. "Remember how I mentioned I had an American friend who's a defence attorney? Turned out, the whole time he lived here in Los Angeles!"

Apollo's frown quickly morphed into an excited grin. "Really?"

Clay laughed. "You were moving here and you didn't know you had a friend here already?"

Luke blushed, picking at his toast. "Well, it's been a while since we last saw each other, so it slipped my mind to check where in America they lived."

Clay just scoffed, shaking his head.

Apollo chuckled. "I think it's awesome you got back in touch with your friend." He paused, frowning. "So that means... you'll be leaving soon?"

Luke froze, mid-bite of his toast.

"Why would he be leaving?" Clay gave his friend a confused look. "He only just got here."

Luke hurriedly chewed his bite of food, trying to clear his mouth to speak. _(How did Apollo know Mister Wright offered to adopt me!?)_

Apollo sighed, staring at his empty tray with crossed arms. "Because that's how it always turns out. Most kids in foster care are only around long enough for friends to adopt them or relatives to take them in. Those of us who don't have either just get left behind."

"I wouldn't!" Luke almost choked on his words as his forced the bite of toast down his gullet. The uncertainty of the adoption offer hung closer over his head, and, to his shame, Luke still didn't know if he would take it or not. Regardless, he told his friend, "I wouldn't leave you behind!"

Apollo looked up to meet Luke's eyes with a glare. "You're lying."

Luke was struck speechless at being called out so confidently. It was almost like Apollo could read his mind.

Clay rolled his eyes, leaning on the table. "Oh, come off it, Apollo. How is he lying?"

"He just _is_." Apollo's gaze snapped up to his visored friend. "I don't know how I know, but I _know_ he's lying. I can _see_ it."

"In other words, you're making all this up. Again."

Luke cast a quick glance around the room, checking there weren't any other students nearby, then screwed up his courage and grabbed Apollo's arm, interrupting whatever the teen had been about to snap at Clay. "Apollo, I..."

Apollo met Luke's eyes with an expression somewhere between wary and curious. He said nothing.

Ashamed, Luke stared at his lap, his hand falling from his friend's sleeve. "I... really don't know what to say. This only just happened, and I don't know what to make of it, or if I'll even say yes or not... Can... Can we talk about it later?"

There was a very long silence. Finally, Apollo said, "Okay," and turned back to face the table.

Luke looked up only to find his friend steadfastly ignoring him. He wasn't sure what he could say in return.

"Soooo..." Clay's eyes flicked between his friends, a lopsided grin on his face that didn't do much to hide his concern. "Did you guys hear how Ernest got himself into trouble in Chemistry?"

 

Clay did most of the talking for the rest of lunch break, though he was unable to shatter the icy atmosphere that had developed between Apollo and Luke. The pair continued not to talk in their classes for the rest of the day, Apollo ignoring his younger friend while Luke meekly sat back and waited, unsure how else to react. Clay tried several times to engage them between classes, but Luke wasn't much in the mood for cheer and Apollo just shut down anything directed at him.

Finally, the last bell of the school day rang. Clay slapped his friends on the back as they left the Physics class they all shared. "So, Luke's room?"

Thus, the trio found themselves filing in to Luke's bedroom in the dormitory. Luke headed for his desk, emptying his satchel of his homework for the day, all arranged and ready for him to start work. Behind him, Clay and Apollo sat down on the bed, Clay idly examining Luke's teddy on the pillow as though he'd never seen it before.

Apollo sighed, hands on his knees. "Luke, I'm sorry for getting mad at you earlier."

Luke turned in his chair, watching his friend. To his surprise, it was now Apollo staring at the floor and looking ashamed.

"I _know_ living in foster care sucks. We're either here at school or in yet another home with a family we'll only know for two weeks, unless it's summer break... and even then it's not like we'll ever see _them_ again. If you have a way to get out of this, you should take it, no matter what we say."

Luke's eyes moved to the suitcases at the end of his bed. After a moment, he reached into his pocket to retrieve the business card, staring at the address on the front. "My friend's offered to adopt me... though the offer isn't official yet. He's promised to stay in touch with me no matter what, and was very insistent I not be pressured either way, and have time to think about it. He'll only make the official offer if I accept."

Apollo looked up to watch his younger friend.

"That's good," Clay said, clearly still trying to add some cheer to the grim atmosphere. "So... _are_ you going to accept?"

"I... don't know." Luke shook his head, still staring at the card. "I didn't think when he asked that accepting would mean I have to go to a different school... or that staying would mean a different foster family every school break... There's so much I don't know about what would happen either way..." Tears pricking at his eyes, he looked up towards his friends. "You have both been so kind and accepting since I got here. I'd hate to just leave you behind."

Apollo jumped to his feet. "You're fine, Luke! We'll find a solution!" He crossed the room, moving to pat his friend's shoulder. "Even if we aren't at the same school anymore, we could sti-..." He froze, eyes on the card in Luke's hand. "I-is... Is that a _Wright and Co Law Offices_ business card!?"

Luke blinked, confused.

Clay's head snapped up with wide eyes. "What!?" He leapt straight off the bed and across the room to join his friends at the desk, reading the card himself with a loud laugh. "Man, how'd you get a card from the Forgin' Attorney?"

"Don't call him that!" Apollo immediately objected, fixing Clay with a glare. "It's not true!"

"F-forging attorney!?" Luke couldn't hide his alarm at hearing a phrase like that (a phrase he was certain he'd heard from Clay's mouth before) and that it was being associated with his friend. "What are you talking about?"

Apollo huffed, crossing his arms. "That's what the papers called him. It's all lies."

Clay waved off the statement, sauntering back to the bed. "Just face up to it, dude: They called him that because _it's true_." He spun on his heel, dropping back onto the mattress. "He was caught using forged evidence in court, so they banned him."

"That's not what happened!" Apollo stomped a foot, hands curled into tight fists at his sides. "He was disbarred, not 'banned'!"

"He still used forged evidence." Clay shrugged, leaning casually back on the bed. "There was all sorts of uproar over how many of his 'miraculous' cases were faked, too."

"But they never overturned his verdicts!" Apollo took a single step towards Clay, only barely restraining himself from taking any more. "He was the best defence attorney in California and _he was framed_!"

Luke finally regained his voice, turning to the friend who was closest. Although he was terrified he already knew the answer, he had a question he simply had to ask regardless: "A-Apollo... Who... Who are you both talking about?"

Apollo's anger faded as he met Luke's eyes, replaced with confusion that quickly became sympathy. "He... He's your friend, isn't he?" He paused, gaze flicking only briefly to the card in Luke's hand. "Phoenix Wright."

Luke felt his insides go cold.

Clay perked up on the bed. "Wait, what?" His expression quickly turned to horror, jumping to his feet. "The For-, I mean, _Phoenix Wright_ is the friend who's adopting you!?"

Luke couldn't reply, his gaze returning to the business card as he fought to hold back tears.

"L-look, Luke, buddy, I didn't mean any of what I said, okay?" Clay nervously laughed, stepped towards his friend with a forced grin. "I got nothing against the guy, I swear! It's just, after what happened, with how 'Pollo here was-"

"It's fine," Luke whispered. "You didn't know he was my friend."

Clay shut up with a wince, arms crossed.

Apollo rested a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Did you not know he was disbarred?"

Luke shook his head. "He didn't say anything... He said a lot had changed... He wasn't wearing his suit, he was wearing a disguise, because he said people recognised him otherwise..." The tears built up, blurring his vision. "He went all quiet when I said I had a friend I wanted to introduce him to, said you might not be interested... I told him you want to be a defence attorney just like him, and he _didn't say anything_..."

Clay shifted uncomfortably, fiddling with the end of a sleeve. "Dude, I'm so sorry..."

Luke remained silent, wiping his eyes with an arm.

Apollo's grip on Luke's shoulder tightened. "You... You were going to introduce him to me?"

Eyes still on the card in his hand, Luke nodded. "If you're not interested-"

"Why wouldn't I be interested?" Apollo laughed, holding his hands out wide. "Who'd honestly turn down a chance to meet _the_ Phoenix Wright!?"

Luke looked up, and was surprised to find his friend grinning widely. "Huh?"

Clay rolled his eyes. "Great, we've set Apollo off..."

Taking no heed of his friend, Apollo continued to gush: "He's the best defence attorney alive today! I went to some of his trials when I could, and no matter how bad it got for him, he always turned everything around and won in the end!"

Sighing, Clay turned to Luke. "I guess we didn't mention it before, but your Mister Wright is 'Pollo here's 'hero'. Like Mister Starbuck is for me, or your Professor is for you." He opened his mouth to add something more, but quickly bit his lip instead, looking uncomfortable.

Luke nodded. _(That makes sense. Clay was teasing Apollo about something happening to his hero, wasn't he? That's where I'd heard them arguing about 'the Forging Attorney' before.)_

Apollo just laughed, waving off Clay's comment as he kept his attention on Luke. "I've read all of his case files in the public record, and I was a member of his fan-club too! Did you know Mister Wright once cross-examined a parrot to prove who the murderer was?"

Luke couldn't keep himself from laughing when he heard that, remembering Labyrinthia. It took him a second to realise that said trials wouldn't be in any public record, especially not one Apollo had access to in America. "Wait, you mean he did that _more than once_?"

Apollo's eyes widened. "Really? When?" He shook his head, dismissing his own question. "Well, making animals testify is _nothing_ compared to the exorcism he performed when I was last at one of his trials!"

Luke's laughter strengthened. _(I bet Maya had something to do with that! I wonder how Apollo would react to hearing about those witch trials in Labyrinthia?)_

"I still don't believe that actually happened," Clay muttered, arms crossed. "You agree with me, right Luke?"

"Sorry, I'm with Apollo on this one," Luke chuckled. _(Maya believed in my ability without question, it's only right I believe in hers, too.)_ He frowned, then grinned as an idea formed in his mind. "Actually, Nancy has a phone she lets us use, doesn't she?"

Apollo's glee finally faded. "Yeah. Why?"

Luke stood, waving the business card in his hand. "I promised Mister Wright I'd keep in touch, and I did tell him I wanted to introduce him to my friend. Why not do that now?"

Apollo paled. "W-whoa, _now_? Meet him _now_?"

Clay snickered, covering his mouth with a hand. "What, you scared, 'Pollo?"

"N-no!"

"Great! I'll go and call him then." Grinning, Luke skipped towards his front door.

Apollo turned red, moving to follow. "Wait, no!"

Not wanting to let his friend back out, Luke immediately sped up, racing out into the hallway and down towards the stairs. He couldn't resist laughing loudly as Apollo's protests and Clay's teasing remarks faded into the distance, replaced by memories of all his adventures with Professor Layton, running to and from danger in their never-ending quest to solve the world's mysteries and save the innocent.

_(I'm going to keep doing our good work, Professor! Just watch! I'll make you proud of me!)_


	20. Justice, Meet Wright

September 10, 4:01PM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Reception

 

Trucy whined as she tugged her silk top hat over her head, slumping forward in her chair. "Can't I take a break?"

Phoenix sighed, stood at her back by the little desk she had claimed in reception. "You only just finished your _last_ break. And you're almost done, anyway. Don't you want to get it over with now, so you can go and play?"

Before Trucy could reply, a chip-tune rendition of the Steel Samurai theme buzzed from Phoenix's pocket. She grinned. "Your phone's ringing, Daddy."

The ex-lawyer sighed as he reluctantly moved to retrieve it. He fixed his daughter with a stern glare, "Get to work. I'll be right back.", then headed into the office.

By now, it was habit to always check the number on the screen when Phoenix received an unexpected call. The number wasn't one he recognised - a clear sign of danger if he'd ever seen one - though that didn't necessarily mean it was a good idea to automatically ignore it. Regardless, he'd taken long enough leaving reception that the ringtone was nearing its end, giving Phoenix only seconds to decide to either answer or let it go to voice-mail.

He decided to answer.

"Hello?"

"Mister Wright!"

Phoenix instantly recognised the teenage boy's voice through the tinny phone lines. "Luke! I wasn't expecting you to call so soon."

Luke laughed, though he sounded oddly out of breath. "I didn't realise until after you left that we hadn't arranged a time to meet up again. Could we meet sometime after school, or maybe the weekend?"

Phoenix cast a wary glance at the reception door behind him. "Weekend would be easier. Saturday morning?"

"Saturday's good!"

A loud voice, big enough to be picked up by Luke's microphone, echoed from somewhere in the background: "Wait, are you actually calling him!? Right now!?"

Luke laughed, speaking away from his end of the phone line. "I said I was going to, didn't I?"

"Apollo is a scaredy-cat!" came a sing-song voice, distinct from the first.

"I am not!"

Luke gasped, returning to the phone. "Oh, Mister Wright, is it okay if I bring my friend along? The one I wanted to introduce to you?"

"Are you serious!?" came the loud voice.

Phoenix shrugged, forgetting his young friend couldn't see him. "Uh, sure."

"That's great!" Luke giggled, then turned away from his phone again. "Did you hear that? Saturday morning, I'll introduce you to Mister Wright!"

After a short pause, the third voice laughed. "Oh man, are you going to faint, 'Pollo?"

"No, I'm going to die of embarrassment..."

Phoenix frowned. "Is your friend okay?"

"He's fine," Luke insisted. "I'm looking forward to meeting Trucy!"

"And she you."

"Oh yes, and we need to talk about your disbarment, too."

Phoenix froze. "Ah. You heard."

"My friends told me." Luke paused a moment. "We can talk about it on Saturday. Where should we meet?"

Phoenix sighed, already mentally preparing himself for the talk he'd dodged earlier that day. "I'll come pick you up at your school. Ten o'clock?"

"Ten o'clock. We'll be waiting at the school gates, then." Luke paused. "And thank you again for coming to find me."

"How could I not?" Phoenix chuckled. "I'll see you on Saturday, Luke."

"See you then, Mister Wright!"

The phone hung up with a click.

 

* * *

 

As the week progressed, Apollo swung wildly between dread and excitement about getting to meet the man he had idolised for two and a half years. In his lows, Luke and Clay were happy to support him, giving him assurances that it would go fine and promising that, as Luke's friend, Phoenix certainly wasn't going to be mean to him. In his highs, it was Apollo who did all the talking, telling Luke every smallest detail he could recall about Phoenix's career as a defence attorney.

"I first heard of him when he was defending the hero of this TV show I used to watch, the Steel Samurai. I wanted to go see the trial, but it was during school, so I had to read about it after."

Clay nodded sagely. "This was before we became friends. I do remember hearing when the Steel Samurai got arrested, though."

"And then there was this big, important case just after Christmas where a famous prosecutor was accused of murdering a defence attorney. Mister Wright not only proved he didn't, he found the true murderer of that case _as well as_ the murderer of a case that happened over a decade ago!"

Luke was amazed. "Wow, really?" It reminded him strongly of how Phoenix and the Professor had worked from opposite sides of the courtroom to solve an equally old case right before Labyrinthia's unmasking.

Clay scoffed, hiding a smile. "Everyone seemed to love him after that."

"That's when I became a fan!" Apollo chuckled proudly. "I wasn't able to go to all his trials because they were during school, but I caught the end of one where he caught out the Chief of Police _and_ the Chief Prosecutor for _two_ murders, accomplice to murder, and forging evidence! That was the first time I got to see him in person, too!" He hid an excited squeal. "And then there was that time someone faked a spirit channelling in a _locked room_ to kill their former employer and framed the spirit medium, and then the one at the Berry Big Circus where everyone thought the magician had flown away from the murder scene, but it was actually the _acrobat_ hiding the murder weapon in his wheelchair!"

Luke paused at the mention of a spirit medium. _(Maya?)_

But Apollo was already talking again: "And then there's the one time Mister Wright had to defend someone who was guilty, and he dragged the trial out _two days_ before they got the evidence to convict the guy properly. Even though he got a 'guilty' verdict, _I_ still count that one as a win, so Mister Wright's still undefeated in my book."

"And don't forget the Mask DeMasque case," Clay sighed, resting his head in a hand. "Took 'Pollo _days_ to shut up about that one."

Apollo laughed. "Cuz it was _really awesome_! First the guy was proven innocent of the thefts, then because of that he was accused of murder, and Mister Wright proved _both_ times it was this other fake 'detective' guy who actually did it all!"

Luke perked up. "Wait, I heard about Mask DeMasque! I didn't know it was _Mister Wright_ who solved that case!"

Clay raised an eyebrow. "Really? I didn't know Mask DeMasque got to England."

Luke scoffed. "He stole a lot of valuable historical artefacts. My dad and the Professor are both archaeologists, so _of course_ they heard about that." He laughed, mentally placing his memory of the infamous thief on the timeline of his adventures. "That wasn't long before I met Mister Wright, actually!"

Apollo grinned. "You'll have to tell us about that later." He paused, frowning in thought. "The last trial of Mister Wright's I saw in person is a bit confusing to explain, though. I mean, it was two days, but there wasn't a single person who was in the courtroom more than once. The prosecutor changed, the judge changed, Mister Wright himself was only defending the second day. Even the defendant managed to swap with her twin sister overnight. Her _dead_ twin sister."

Luke wasn't sure how to react to that. "Swapped with her _dead_ twin?"

Apollo shrugged. "Believe me or not, but, after seeing two of Mister Wright's cases dealing with it, I'm certain spirit channelling is an actual thing, and it was all over that case. To get rid of that evil twin, Mister Wright actually had to _exorcise_ her, mid-trial! It was _amazing_ to watch." His brief excitement faded. "In the end, they arrested the second day's prosecutor for the murder. The defendant had been helping him, so she just got accomplice, but otherwise she was innocent. The whole thing was self-defence in the end, anyway."

Luke frowned, staring at his hands. Despite his belief in Maya's abilities, he wasn't sure what to make of Apollo's claim about spirit channelling... but he _was_ much more worried about Maya.

"Well, what about you?" Apollo gave his friend a smile. "You said you met Mister Wright in England, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did." Luke thought a long moment, then shook his head. "I'm... sorry, that story's really complicated to explain. I guess the short version is... We ran into each other investigating a suspicious town."

Apollo looked disappointed. "That's all you can say?"

Clay snorted. "We have to go to class in a minute, anyway. Don't have time for long stories, dude."

The topic had long been forgotten by the time they were next able to talk.

 

On the insistence of his father, Clay was heading home for the weekend, so he saw his friends off on Friday afternoon with the stern instruction "You guys better tell me all the juicy details when I get back on Monday, okay?" Apollo had just rolled his eyes, though Luke had promised to fill their friend in the moment he returned.

Finally, Saturday morning came, and Apollo and Luke found themselves sitting on a bench in the school courtyard, the one closest to the front gate. Apollo, as he always did once school was over, had rolled up his uniform sleeves to wear his bracelet (Luke suspected he had no other clothes to wear to replace it). His skin was remarkably pale, hands gripping the bench with white knuckles, and his usually impeccably styled hair hung limp over his face. When he spoke, his voice was also much higher in pitch than normal. "D-do you think Mister Wright would mind if I cancelled?"

Luke himself was back in his own shirt and shorts, his blue cap perched on his head and his satchel hanging off his shoulder. He gave his friend a grin, holding up a determined fist. "You're fine, Apollo! Mister Wright will be here soon, and we're going to have a great time together today!"

Apollo nodded, though he was still terrified. "Yeah... Yeah, we're gonna have fun today. I'm... I'M FINE!"

"WE'RE FINE!" Luke laughed. "See?"

Although he was still very pale, Apollo managed a small smile.

A metallic tapping rang through the air, and the two boys looked up to see a man in jeans and a hoodie, knocking on the barred gates with a grin underneath his cyan beanie. Beside him, watching curiously, was a little girl in a pinkish-red magician's outfit.

Luke's face broke into a wide smile, and he jumped to his feet. "Mister Wright!"

Apollo's hard-won confidence was quick to fade. "Oh." He would have frozen on the spot if Luke hadn't immediately grabbed his arm, "Hey!", and charged towards the gate, dragging his friend behind him.

Only once they had reached the gate did Luke release his friend, making for the speaker box to jam a finger into the button. "Mister Thrume, this is Luke: Apollo and I are going out for the morning!"

"You got it, kiddo," came the scratchy voice from the speaker. A moment later, the buzz of the deactivated locks sounded from above.

Luke didn't waste a second, leaping against the gate to push it open. Apollo automatically jumped forward to help, and it was a good thing he did, as Luke shot through the moment the gate was wide enough, nearly slamming the metal bars closed in Apollo's face. A second later, unknowing of the scenario behind him, Luke was standing in front of Phoenix, having stopped just short of a hug. "Thank you for coming, Mister Wright!"

Phoenix laughed. "No problem, Luke."

The young girl at Phoenix's side curiously approached the newcomer, eyes narrowed to inspect the boy with one arm in a sling.

Luke turned to face the girl, tipping his cap. "And you must be Trucy. Pleased to meet you." He held out his hand. "My name's Luke Triton."

The girl stared a moment longer, then grinned, grabbing Luke's hand to shake. "Pleased to meet you," she parroted back in an imitation of Luke's accent, then giggled. "I'm Trucy Wright, professional magician."

"A professional already? At your age?" Luke chuckled. "That's very impressive, Trucy."

"You _bet_ it is!"

To Apollo's horror, it was at that moment Phoenix turned his attention to the older boy. "And your friend?"

"Ah!" Luke spun around, rushing back to grab the reluctant Apollo's arm and drag him away from the gate. The elder boy meekly protested, but was only ignored as the metal bars ominously clicked shut behind them. Luke happily indicated his nervous friend to their visitors: "This is Apollo Justice, one of my classmates and best friends."

Phoenix gave the boy a polite nod. "Nice to meet you, Apollo."

Apollo silently opened and closed his mouth several times before he was able to stutter a stunned "H-hi," in return.

Trucy began to giggle behind a gloved hand. Luke was biting his lip to hide a smile.

Phoenix frowned, rubbing his chin with one hand. "You... look very pale. Are you okay?"

"I'M FINE!" The moment the shout left his lips, Apollo was slapping his face with his left hand. _(Please Holy Mother, let the earth swallow me up right now before I do anything more embarrassing...!)_

Phoenix's frown only deepened as his gaze moved from Apollo's reddening expression to the golden bracelet on his wrist.

Trucy skipped around to Apollo's side, still giggling. "You're funny, Polly! I can call you 'Polly', right? 'Apollo' is so hard to say!"

Apollo lowered his hand from his face, shooting the girl a glare. "Don't call me 'Polly'."

"Thanks, Polly!"

Apollo rolled his eyes, but the girl only cheerfully ignored it.

Luke hid laughter as he patted his friend's back in false commiseration. "Well, at least not many people in that fan club you mentioned could boast about getting to meet Mister Wright, huh?"

Phoenix's attention returned to the conversation. "Fan club?"

Apollo turned his glare on Luke. "You mean the fan club that _dissolved_? You brought me with you just to tease me about that?"

Luke's eyes widened. "What? Of course not!"

Apollo shook his head, though he let a small smile prick at his lips as he spoke. "You're a cruel, cruel kid, Luke Triton."

Trucy pressed a hand to her mouth to muffle giggles, then brightly told Apollo, "I heard 'cool, cool'."

The elder boy shot her a smirk. "You don't count."

Phoenix chuckled, waving a hand to call the children's antics to a halt. "Alright, why don't we get moving already?" He turned and headed off down the path, gesturing for the three to follow. "I thought we'd drop by my place and then have lunch at the park not far from us. Sound good?"

Luke nodded, running to his older friend's side. "That's great, Mister Wright! I must admit, I've been curious to see where you live."

Trucy joined them, skipping happily on her father's other side. "We'll show you around! And I can show you some of my tricks while we're there!"

Apollo rolled his eyes, lagging behind the group and trying hard to hide the excitement building in his chest that he had just been invited into _Phoenix Wright's home_. "I think I've seen enough 'tricks' already..."

 

[View the Court Record/Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/159786429654/tumblr_oopgpeClFx1uwes7q)


	21. Trucy's Tour

September 14, 11:32AM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Reception

 

It took over an hour to cross the city on the bus and reach the neighbourhood the Wrights called home. Trucy spent the whole trip chatting to Luke, eager to get to know him, and Luke was more than happy to oblige her, answering all her questions and reacting favourably to her own stories of her achievements on stage. With the two so close already, they ended up next to each other on the bus, Phoenix and Apollo behind them. Apollo sat stiff as a rod nearly the entire time, his focus mostly on the man relaxing in the seat next to him. Phoenix himself didn't seem to notice, half an eye on the pair in the seats ahead and the rest of his attention directed out the window to keep track of where they were.

"Ah, Maple Street. This is our stop."

It was only a short walk down the street and one corner later before they came to a stairway that extended up from the pavement to the second floor of the building above. Trucy announced "We're here!" and led Luke up the steps to a small landing and a door at the top. "This is the front door, where all our customers come in."

Luke nodded, studying the sign nearby. "Your office is here, too?"

"Yep." Phoenix caught up to the pair, pulling out his keys to open the door as Apollo joined the group behind him. "Much cheaper than having to pay rent on a separate room, and I have something of an emotional attachment to this place."

As everyone else filed inside, Apollo paused, frowning at the sign. "Wright Talent Agency...?"

"That's us!" Trucy giggled, staying behind to hold open the front door for the straggler of the group. "I'm the CEO. Come on in and I'll show you around!"

Apollo gave her a wary look, but headed inside anyway.

The room that served as the introduction to the Wrights' home was much like Apollo expected of a law office, with bookcases piled high all around and multiple desks. The only exception, the thing that made it a talent agency, was the corner dominated by the piano and a sea of Troupe Gramarye posters that reminded Apollo of Clay's dorm room. It was the latter his eyes latched on to, studying the familiar image upon them of the man in the pinkish-red cape and top hat.

Trucy looked around with a frown, heading to where Luke stood near the coat rack by the door leading further inside. "Where'd Daddy go?"

"He said he had to fetch something," Luke explained. "He wanted us to start the tour without him."

"Alright." Trucy grinned, spinning in place to make her cape swirl around her, then gesturing to the room. "Welcome to the grand tour of the Wright Talent Agency, also known as, where we live!" She giggled. "This is the reception! I work here, and welcome anyone who comes to hire one of our talents!"

Luke gasped. "Oh, of course! You can't run a law office now Mister Wright isn't a lawyer anymore, so you're a talent agency instead. That's clever." He gave the girl a smile. "I know you're a magician, Trucy. Does Mister Wright do anything?"

"Yep!" Trucy skipped around the nearby desk, pulling open a drawer and retrieving two fliers that she shoved into the two boys' hands.

Apollo tore his eyes from the posters to give the paper a look, finding it to be an advertisement: 'Wright Talent Agency' was spread across the top in bold letters, while below a pattern made up of card suits - much like the ones he noticed at the tips of Trucy's cape - roughly marked the shape of a grand piano.

"Daddy plays the piano," Trucy explained. "We make enough to get by. Oh, but don't worry, we'll be able to look after you as well, Luke!" She gave the younger boy a grin.

Luke blushed, fiddling with the fabric of his sling. "Oh, um... That's good."

Apollo roughly shoved the flier into his pocket, glaring at the posters on the wall. "If you're a professional magician, why are you ripping off the outfit of the guy who ruined your dad?"

Trucy froze, staring at Apollo with a hurt look.

Luke frowned, confused. "Apollo? What are you talking about?"

"When Mister Wright lost his badge, the picture of the guy on trial was all over the place, just as much as Mister Wright." Apollo pointed his friend to the posters. "That's him, all over that wall, wearing the _exact same_ outfit as _her_!" He pointed roughly to the young girl, who he gave an accusing stare. "Why are you doing that?"

Trucy's face had turned red, her eyes shining. "I'm not ripping him off."

Apollo crossed his arms, tapping a foot in disbelief. "Then why is your outfit exactly the same? You can't deny it's a co-incidence, not with those posters over there."

"Because Daddy made it for me himself!" Trucy stomped a foot, tears brimming. "He gave it to me when he left!"

Apollo shook his head, baffled. "What? Why would _Mister Wright_ dress you up like that!? And what do you mean 'when he left'?"

"She doesn't mean Mister Wright."

Both Apollo and Trucy's gazes turned to Luke, who was giving Apollo a stern stare.

"I didn't mention it before, because it wasn't relevant, but Trucy was adopted. Mister Wright told me when he offered to adopt _me_. I'm guessing the man in the posters..." Luke looked to Trucy, his gaze sympathetic. "That's your birth father, isn't it? The one who disappeared."

Trucy's eyes turned downwards to the carpet, one hand gripping the brooch on her cape. She nodded.

Apollo blinked in surprise, looking back to the posters. _(She's...? What!?)_

Luke stepped forward, resting his hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'm sorry. My parents both disappeared, too. I guess Mister Wright told you that, though."

Trucy nodded again. "I'm sorry about your mommy and daddy." She wiped her eyes with a gloved hand, meeting his gaze. "But you can come and stay with us. We can make a new family together."

Luke winced, glancing in Apollo's direction. "I'm... sorry, Trucy, but I don't know yet if I will. I really have to talk about it with Mister Wright first."

After a moment's thought, Trucy accepted that reply with a sniff. "Okay." Plastering a grin back on her face, she spun around to face both boys. "C'mon, let's get this tour moving!" Without waiting for an answer, she promptly ran off into the next room.

Luke shot Apollo an apologetic shrug, then hurried after her.

Apollo gave one last look at the posters prominently labelled 'Troupe Gramarye'... then followed.

 

The excitement at being in the home of Phoenix Wright was slow to return to Apollo in the man's absence. The second room he saw after coming in resembled a law office even more than reception had, also containing shelves of books and files, and a large desk next to another door leading further in. The room's serious image was potentially ruined only by the couch and old TV in the corner, and what looked like a movie poster hanging on the opposite wall.

Trucy proudly indicated the small plant sitting in a white pot by the desk. "This is the most senior member of our agency, Mister Charley. He's been here even longer than Daddy."

"Wow, really?" Luke giggled, and tipped his cap to the plant. "Nice to meet you, Mister Charley."

Apollo rolled his eyes. "The plant? Really?"

Trucy wagged a finger at him. "You show Mister Charley the respect he deserves! Besides," she shrugged, "our landlord says we're not allowed pets."

"Oh, that's a shame," Luke muttered.

Apollo sighed.

Beyond the second door was a small kitchen and dining space, the kitchen itself clustered along the wall to their left while a small table and assortment of chairs served as the eating area on the right. A small enclave was walled off in the corner behind the kitchen, which Trucy only pointed to and designated "the restroom that Daddy makes you clean if you're naughty". On their right was another room, mirroring the placement of reception at the front door. "That's the laundry. The back door's in there too, but it goes down to an alleyway, so it's not very exciting."

Next to the laundry, stairs ascended to a second floor, and Trucy was happy to wave the two boys up behind her. "This is where we sleep!" The stairs curved at the top, sticking to the back wall of the apartment, and opened onto a small landing that narrowed into a hallway leading back down the length of the building. Trucy pointed at a nearby door, "That one's my room!", then waved them down into the hallway, where they found three more doors.

The door leading to the room neighbouring Trucy's was designated "the bathroom, but you have to be careful when you use it because it has a second door into Daddy's room."

The door at the end of the hall, directly in front of them, was described as "Daddy's room, but no-one is allowed in there except him, unless it's an emergency."

Apollo pointed to the final door, on their right and opposite the bathroom. "And that one?"

Trucy grinned, rushing to push it open and lead the two boys inside.

The room was remarkably bare, especially when compared to the cluttered mess of the rest of the apartment. It held little more than a rickety cupboard, a small set of drawers, and a single bed. The only source of light was a small window high on the opposite wall, looking up at the building on the other side of the previously mentioned alleyway.

Luke hummed in thought as he slowly looked around. "I imagine this would be my room if I accept Mister Wright's offer."

Trucy nodded. "This room was already all set up before _I_ moved in. It's almost like Daddy always knew he'd need two extra bedrooms." She lingered at Luke's side, watching him carefully. "Y'know... I've always wanted a brother. It'd be really nice if you came to live with us. If you decide to, I mean."

Apollo crossed his arms, eyes firmly on the neatly-made bed in front of them. He dearly wanted to make a comment about annoying younger sisters, but he'd already upset the girl once today, so he kept his mouth shut.

Luke was silent for a long moment, finger tapping the plaster cast on his arm. He kept the direction of his gaze very neutral, somewhere between his friend on one side and the young girl on the other. "We'll see."

"Ah, there you are."

The trio spun around to find Phoenix watching them from the doorway, a lazy grin on his face as he slipped a tablet computer into his pocket.

"We all ready to go to the park?"

Trucy cheered, grabbing Luke's uninjured arm. "C'mon, there's play equipment there and everything!"

"Oh really?" Luke managed to ask as he was dragged out of the room. The pair quickly disappeared down the hall.

Phoenix kept his gaze on Apollo, frowning slightly. "Are you okay?"

Apollo forcefully tried to neutralise the glare on his face. "I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me, Mister Wright." He tried a smile, though it came out very weak.

Phoenix hummed quietly, unconvinced. Apollo was sure he was imagining it, but the man's eyes seemed to leave the teen's face, looking at the air around Apollo instead of Apollo himself. Finally, Phoenix sighed, then regained a smile of his own. "Well, let's get going then. Can't let Luke and Trucy beat us to the park, huh?"

 

[View the Court Record](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/159824134354/tumblr_oorelklEnV1uwes7q)


	22. Apollo and Phoenix

September 14, 11:41AM  
People Park

 

Just as Phoenix had said, the park wasn't far from the Wrights' home, only a single block and a short walk to a reddish, off-white archway with the words "People Park" written in green below a stylised sunrise. Apollo paused to read a tiny plaque affixed to the stone column - 'Donated by Big Wins Kitaki' - but found himself falling behind the group and had to hurry to catch up.

Trucy raced ahead with a small tarp, to the top of a small hill where a winding tree trunk claimed the area with its leaves above and its roots below. The girl tossed her tarp over the leaf litter between the thinner roots, the sheet of plastic opening as it fell to land somewhat crooked on the ground, needing only a little adjustment by the girl. She spun around to give Phoenix a triumphant grin. "It's ready, Daddy!"

"Well done, indeed." Smiling, Phoenix pulled a blanket from under an arm and spread it over on top of the tarp. It was small enough that the blue edges of the plastic were still visible, but it looked a lot more comfortable than the tarp alone, and there was enough room for all four of them to sit down. Phoenix dropped the plastic bags he'd been carrying on the nearest corner, then lowered himself onto the fabric. "Did you want to show the boys around, Trucy?"

"Yeah!" The girl ran to Luke, tugging on his free arm. "C'mon, I'll show you where the play equipment is!"

Luke laughed. "Sounds fun!" He followed the giggling girl down the hill, towards a fenced off area nearby.

Apollo didn't bother joining the younger pair, sitting down on the corner of the blanket opposite Phoenix. "No offence, but I'm way too old for that kind of stuff."

Phoenix shrugged. "None taken. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect when Luke kept talking about this friend of his who wanted to be a defence attorney." He studied the teen curiously, arms crossed. "And wasn't there some mention of a 'fan club' or something?"

Apollo turned red, looking away. "Y-yeah, I was a member of that. B-but it's not like there weren't a lot of us... before it imploded, anyway."

Phoenix was silent for a long moment, deep in thought. "So, this fan club... It was about _me_?"

The colour of Apollo's face returned to normal, and he met Phoenix's gaze with a raised eyebrow. "Um... yes?" He took in the astonished tone of Phoenix's voice and expression, and nearly gasped in realisation. "Didn't you know?"

Phoenix shook his head. "I knew I was relatively well known, and there was at least one person out there who called themselves a 'fan'... but an entire _club_?" He sighed, pressing a hand to his face. "I'm not surprised it no longer exists, though. Not after the way my reputation went down the drain."

Apollo nodded sympathetically, though he still found it surprising that, the whole time, Phoenix had never known his fan club even existed. "The people who founded it said it was 'semi-official'. They were supposed to be friends of yours. Did they never tell you or...?"

Phoenix shrugged, lowering his hand. After a pause, he frowned. "Do you know their names?"

Apollo thought a moment. "We had a pretty strict rule about giving out our real names. Their usernames were My-Fairy and Precious-Fairy, though."

To Apollo's surprise, Phoenix laughed. "Ah, yes, that explains it. Of course they wouldn't have told me." He looked to Apollo with a grin. "Did you hear much from them after February?"

"Actually, no." Apollo pressed a finger to his forehead, thinking hard. "I think they went on vacation just before that big case you had... then they kinda just disappeared. My-Fairy passed on everything to BlackbirdLuck and we never really heard from them again."

Phoenix slowly nodded, smiling up at the sky with a soft hum. After a few moments, he pulled a tablet computer from the pocket of his hoodie (the same one Apollo had briefly glimpsed before they left), and began tapping away at the screen.

Apollo waited in vain for any kind of explanation. Sighing, he turned to look around the park from what little of a view they had. Despite the clouds above, there were a few other blankets laid out on the grass all around. A group of people on another hill were attempting to fly kites in the slight gusts of breeze there were above the tree-level. At the bottom of the hill was the play equipment, where Apollo could see Trucy's flapping cape darting all over, followed closely by a bobbing blue cap belonging to Luke. _(He is such a big kid. At least he's having fun, though.)_ The river that ran through the park was lined with patches of activity, either kids playing in the shallows to the north or couples sitting on benches to the south, where another entrance opened up to a separate street. Trees were growing all over the place, lining the occasional paved pathway and part of the river and forming miniature forests that made the entire area seem much closer to nature than Apollo thought was strictly the truth... especially considering the entire place sat in the middle of a bustling city.

"Say, Apollo?"

The teenager jerked in surprise, returning his attention to the former lawyer. "Huh?"

Phoenix smiled, his tablet still in his hands. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine." Apollo shook his head. "Did you want something, Mister Wright?"

Phoenix thought a moment, looking at his computer with a stern gaze. "I don't mean to pry, and feel free not to answer this if you don't want to..." His eyes looked up to Apollo, gesturing to where the teen's hands were clutched tightly in his lap. "I was just wondering about your bracelet. Where'd you get it?"

Apollo's hand moved to clutch the golden ring on his left wrist. "Oh..." He paused, wondering how best to answer. "It... was left with me. My dad died, and my mom... Well, I got separated from her. I was just a baby at the time."

Phoenix hummed, eyes returning to his computer. His thoughtful frown was a far cry from the sympathetic looks Apollo was used to. "So... do you have a family at all, apart from them?"

Apollo shook his head, trying not to tense up at the thought. "I'm in foster care. I have been my whole life. I'm used to it."

His words brought Phoenix's searching gaze once more to the teen's face. "You're... fourteen?"

"Fifteen."

"Fifteen?" Phoenix looked confused. "Luke's only thirteen."

Apollo stifled a laugh. "Luke skipped freshman year. He's the youngest in all our classes."

"Ah." Phoenix thought a moment, then shook his head, watching Apollo with concern. "You're not jealous of my offer to Luke, are you?"

Apollo almost jumped at the accusation, not wanting to let on exactly how true it actually was. "N-no, of course not. Why would I be?"

Phoenix's concerned stare only strengthened, his eyes flicking briefly to the air around Apollo's face. "You'll be an adult in a few years time. Have you seriously never had a family, in fifteen years? No-one's offered to take you in permanently?"

Once more Apollo found himself shoving a particular brand of unwanted thoughts from his head, staring at the blanket beneath them. "I... had some foster families I was close to. They just didn't work out." He tightly crossed his arms, replacing the unwanted memories with thoughts of the Bonneys. The next words out of his mouth were nearly a whisper: "I would've said yes if they'd ever asked, though."

Phoenix continued his stare for a long moment before finally returning his gaze to his computer. Frowning, he tapped at the screen for a few moments, then returned it to his pocket.

It was only as the tablet disappeared from sight Apollo realised why it was familiar. "Mister Wright?" He pointed to the pocket the man's hands were resting in. "Isn't that the computer you always used in court?"

Phoenix blinked, nonplussed, then registered what Apollo was asking and pulled the tablet back out with a grin. "Oh, this? Yeah, that's my Court Record."

Apollo smiled, mouth open in amazement. "Oh, you mean that's the name of the actual thing? I always thought it was just the list of evidence and stuff for the trial."

"Technically, it is," Phoenix laughed, bouncing the tablet in his hands, "but given how these things are so vital to an attorney's job, they usually get called by the same name. I have a prosecutor friend who calls his his 'Organiser'."

Apollo couldn't help a soft gasp, leaning forward. "Cool..." He inched a little closer across the blanket. "I've seen in court, how you plug them in and can use them to put stuff up on the holographic screens for the gallery and the judge, a-and the witness too."

Phoenix nodded. "Yep, that's how they work. The holograms are a relatively new thing. When I was your age, they just had these big TV screens instead." He held up his hands to indicate their rough size.

Apollo inched a little closer. "Really? Where'd they put them?"

"Either side of the judge." Phoenix chuckled. "Course, the layout of the courtroom was a little different then, too. Every time they do a tech update, stuff gets moved around a bit. I hear they're in the works to finally move everything to wireless one of these years."

Apollo laughed. "That must be hard to get used to when they change things up."

Phoenix shrugged. "Eh. In my experience, the trials always keep your attention no matter _what_ courtroom you're in..."

 

[View the Court Record](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/159824134354/tumblr_oorelklEnV1uwes7q)


	23. Picnic at People Park

September 14, 12:22PM  
People Park

 

"They sent me a thank you note a few months later, actually."

"Really?"

"Yep. They'd started a new business together. On the one hand, they help thieves start honest lives... and on the other, they give thieves detailed plans for heists."

Apollo could only laugh, almost falling backwards on the blanket. "And they can get away with advertising that!?"

Phoenix shrugged, grinning. "I guess they do it as Mask DeMasque, so it falls under the double jeopardy rule. Desirée probably has no official ties to it, too."

"Wow... And that guy seemed like such a flake!"

It had been thirty minutes since the change of topic to Phoenix's trials... not that Apollo could have guessed that, engrossed in enjoying every possible moment he was getting to spend talking to someone who cared about the subject as much as him - And not just _any_ someone, but _Phoenix Wright_. The former lawyer had seemed fascinated to hear Apollo's view of the trials he sat in on, returning them with his own memories of the time and behind-the-scenes information that Apollo would never have guessed or even believed had he not heard it from the man himself. Occasionally, Phoenix would even pull up a photo or note of a person or piece of evidence he'd made of the case at hand to show Apollo, which had led to the pair sitting side-by-side under the tree, a somewhat natural conclusion to Apollo's inching closer when they'd started talking. Sitting there as he was, having a conversation with and about Phoenix, was literally a dream coming true for the teen. Apollo dared not pinch himself for fear of waking up in his bed back at Turner's. He never wanted it to end.

"Daddy!"

But end it did.

Torn from the conversation, Apollo looked down the hill to see an exhausted but happy Trucy trudging up towards them, an equally tired-but-glad Luke not far behind her.

"Ah, there you are." Phoenix shot the pair a grin, putting away his Court Record. "Did you have fun on your tour of the park?"

Trucy paused, eyes wide. "Um."

Apollo hid a snicker, knowing their 'tour' probably consisted of about thirty or so circuits of the play equipment.

"Of course we did, Mister Wright," Luke insisted, moving to sit down in the corner opposite Apollo. "In fact, it will be necessary for us to have another one to show Apollo around."

Phoenix snorted, not believing the lie for a second. "Of course."

In contrast, Apollo's smile died at his friend's words. _(What would be the point? I'm probably never coming back here, after all.)_ Not wanting to upset anyone, he kept quiet.

Trucy sighed as she lay back on the blanket, her legs spread out on the bare grass. "It's hot..." She left her top hat to fall to the ground, then feebly undid the brooch holding together her cape. Once she managed to free the pinkish-red fabric, she threw it back off her shoulders and dropped her arms to the ground, still clutching the diamond-shaped brooch in her hand. "I'm too tired to take this off..."

"Too bad." Phoenix grinned, hands firmly in his pockets. "Guess you're stuck there until you have enough energy to do it yourself."

"Daddyyyyy!"

Luke giggled, similarly lying back on the blanket and spreading his legs out over the grass. "It's nice and cool up here. We can have fun chatting until it's time to go back."

Phoenix nodded. "That's a good idea. We have some things we need to talk about, don't we?"

Luke hummed in thought, smile fading. "You didn't tell me you were disbarred."

"Ah." Phoenix winced, looking away with a guilty expression. "No, I... I didn't. I meant to, I promise. Once I was actually talking to you, though... I just couldn't make myself admit it."

Apollo cast a wary look at Trucy; Much like him, the girl was frowning deeply, staring off at nothing in particular. He couldn't help wondering what her own thoughts on the subject were, now he knew she was so closely tied to the infamous disbarment herself.

Luke moved his head to watch Phoenix directly. "Does the Professor know?"

Phoenix nodded, scratching the back of his head. "It took me a few months, but I did eventually write him a letter explaining the situation." He met Luke's eyes. "He told me it arrived at a bad time, and he wasn't able to pass anything on to you before you left."

Luke mused on the new information for a few moments. "Alright." He pushed himself back up into a sitting position, twisting as best he could with one arm to be facing his older friend. "There _was_ a lot going on before I left... and a lot going on when I got here, too. I suppose there was never going to be a 'good time' to tell me."

"I am sorry for not telling you myself."

"It's fine, Mister Wright." Luke gave the man a smile. "I understand why you didn't."

Phoenix stared back a moment before returning a small smile of his own.

Trucy wriggled from where she lay on the ground, turning over onto her belly and then pushing herself up into a sitting position, still holding her brooch in one hand. She watched Luke with a thoughtful frown. "So... Are you going to stay with us? Until your mommy and daddy come back?"

Apollo found his focus tightening on Luke, a hand resting on his bracelet as he watched his friend.

Luke turned his gaze downwards, eyebrows pressed together. He was silent for a long moment before looking up at Phoenix once more. "I'm assuming that, like Trucy, when my mum and dad reappear this adoption is reversible."

Phoenix nodded. "I'd be your official guardian and caretaker in the absence of anyone else, and you get spared the frustration of the foster system in the meantime." He sighed. "Though don't ask me to explain all the intricacies of how it works and exactly what happens when your parents show up. I was a _criminal_ attorney, so this kind of stuff isn't my field of expertise."

"Okay." Luke held his hand to his chin, thinking. "The other thing is..." His hand lowered, curling into a fist in his lap. "I don't want to leave my new school."

Apollo's eyebrows shot up, watching his friend. "Luke..."

"Apollo and Clay are my friends too, and they've done so much for me since I arrived." Luke's eyes moved to Apollo, determination in his expression. "I meant it when I said I didn't want to leave you behind. Sure, the foster system isn't exactly pleasant, but we're fine living with it, and it put us together at Turner's, right? And, outside of school, Clay at least has his dad, even if they don't get on too well. _You_ don't have anyone, and I'd rather stay a foster kid than leave you all alone without a friend to look out for you." He took a deep breath, concern seeping into his face. "Because that's what friends do: We look out for each other. You and Clay have been looking out for me ever since we met, and... I want the chance to return the favour."

Apollo could only stare at his friend, unsure what he could say in return. He had to force the tears back from his eyes, not wanting to cry in front of Phoenix.

"You don't have a mommy or daddy either?"

Tearing his gaze from Luke, Apollo found Trucy watching him with wide eyes. Seeing her so close to tears somehow made it easier to keep from spilling any himself, so he kept her in his sight, answering her question with a shake of his head.

Trucy's expression tightened with empathy. "I'm sorry... No wonder you were so upset during the tour."

"I'm fine," Apollo insisted, though his voice came out quieter than usual. "I've survived fifteen years of foster care. I can handle three more."

The girl's eyes somehow managed to widen even further, her hands to her mouth. " _Fifteen_? You've been alone that long!?"

Apollo couldn't help but crack a smile at her concern. "Hey, I'm not alone: I'm got my friend Clay, and Luke's promised to stay in touch even if he goes with you and your dad."

Luke nodded. "I'm not leaving Turner's. Even though it's an hour away from here, I refuse to go anywhere else."

Trucy's face scrunched up in thought, looking between the two. After a few moments, she turned to Apollo. "Well, I know you're lying about being fine-"

Apollo scoffed. "I am not!"

"-but at least you're not alone." The girl grinned. "And I know you were lying. I can see it."

Apollo bit his lip to avoid protesting a second time, instead settling for a glare. It had occurred to him how hypocritical he would be to not believe the girl, after how so many other people in his life hadn't believed _him_.

Luckily, the same point seemed to have hit Luke, who looked between the pair in amazement. "Really? Apollo can 'see' when people are lying, too."

"Really?" Trucy's eyes flicked between the two boys before settling on Apollo with a grin. "Cool!"

Phoenix hummed in thought, a hand rubbing his chin as he watched the three kids with a secretive smile, reminding them of his presence. "You said your mother is missing, Apollo. Maybe we could look for her at the same time as Trucy's and Luke's parents."

"Yeah!" Trucy flung herself across the blanket, grabbing Apollo's arm and pulling on it in her eagerness. "We can be the Missing Parents Club! Search and Rescue! A subsidiary of the Wright Talent Agency!"

Phoenix snorted, raising an eyebrow at his daughter. "What are you learning at school to know what that word means already?"

Apollo gently pried the girl off his arm, worried she was cutting off the circulation. "Well, the only way we'd find my mom would be if _she_ recognises _me_ , since I know absolutely nothing about her." He gave the excitable eight-year-old a smile. "I don't mind helping you two, though."

Luke giggled. "You never know Apollo, maybe we'll find her really quickly."

"I'm _sure_ we will," Trucy boasted. "Even if Luke doesn't come stay with us, you can still both be in the search and rescue team. We'll look for _all_ our missing parents!"

Apollo rolled his eyes at the girl, hiding a snort, then turned his attention to Luke. "Y'know, it wouldn't be that hard to stay at Turner's if you _did_ go with them. It's a _boarding_ school, after all. You could just do what Clay does, and go home for breaks and some weekends."

Phoenix nodded. "That would certainly be easier than taking _that_ trip twice a day."

Trucy stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "But then I'd get a big brother and he'd barely ever be _around_!"

"I'd have to confirm how capable our finances are, of course." Phoenix looked to his daughter with a grin. "And I'm sure that would be a good thing in the long run. He'd only distract you from your homework. Moreso than you already are."

Trucy crossed her arms, sticking her nose in the air. "Am _not_ distracted."

Luke giggled. "That sounds good. As long as I can stay at Turner's."

"I'll make sure of it." Phoenix gave the boy a nod. "Once everything's sorted out, I'll call Ms Order and get that official request in."

"Great!" Luke grinned.

Squealing in delight, Trucy threw herself across the blanket to give Luke a hug, being careful to put her arms around his neck instead of anywhere near his broken arm. "I'm gonna get a big brother!"

Apollo looked away, smile fading. He was happy he wasn't losing his friend, he couldn't deny that... but he couldn't shake that small tinge of jealousy at the back of his mind that, when school broke up for the winter holidays, he would be going to an unknown house with an unknown family for the new year... and Luke would be heading back to Phoenix Wright's home.

Unnoticed by Apollo, Phoenix turned his eyes to the older teen, and flashed a secretive smile.

 

[View the Court Record/Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/159896489334/tumblr_oov2fm2sOa1uwes7q)


	24. Letters

_My dear Luke,_

_I cannot express how relieved I was to receive your letter today, and to hear you are safe and as happy as can be expected. The news of what has happened to your parents reached me through Mr. Wright, as I had asked him to meet you upon your arrival. When you did not appear at your destination, he took it upon himself to track you down. As of writing this, he has been unsuccessful, but we have been in close contact and he says tomorrow he will be meeting you in person. I can only hope this has already happened by the time you read this. Did you find the business card he says was hidden in your mother or father's suitcase? If he has not been in touch, it should provide you with his contact details._

_I personally cannot believe Clark or Brenda would have had leave of their senses to the extent you say. They are both highly intelligent, and know better than to have left the road - or, indeed, any sign of civilisation - after a car accident, especially if it meant leaving you alone. I fear you are correct in your assessment that something more is going on. Mr. Wright told me of many similar accidents that have happened on that same stretch of road, and it seems you and your parents are only the latest victims. You shall have to ask him for the details. I wish I was able to follow you to America and help investigate, but a new year has started at Gressenheller and I am afraid I have missed altogether too many classes lately, so Dean Delmona is reluctant to release me again so soon. The chaos our trip to Future London caused has not exactly helped the situation, either. In my absence, I am confident you and Mr. Wright will have everything safely in hand on your own._

_Speaking of Future London, Flora has been heavily involving herself in the recovery efforts of the destruction. She ensured we were both there for Clive Dove's trial this past week. He was very open about everything, but is still serving a lifetime sentence for the repeat of the Blitz he wrought in Westminster. I also hear Inspector Chelmey is re-opening an investigation into the explosion ten years ago that started all of this. In the meantime, we have attempted to help the survivors of the attack in any way we can. Flora tried to volunteer at a kitchen, until they told her in no uncertain terms that she couldn't cook - far more harshly than was strictly necessary, in my opinion - and she was moved to a separate job. Thankfully, she seems very happy working directly with the needy. In particular, she's become very attached to a baby whose house and family were crushed, leaving him all alone._

_My apologies, as this letter has grown far longer than I intended. I have enclosed a few puzzles I discovered recently that may interest you. Please be sure to reply when you are next able._

_Your friend,_

_Professor Hershel Layton_

_9th September, 2019_

 

September 16, 1:04PM  
Sirius Turner Boarding School for Boys  
Cafeteria

 

It had been a very happy weekend for young Luke Triton.

The visit to People Park and the Wrights' home on Saturday was not only a relief for Luke - meeting Trucy and finalising the details of whether he would be joining their family - but also for Apollo. It was hard to miss how much the elder teen had appreciated all the time he spent that day with Phoenix, and, after that initial confusion about Trucy's magician outfit, he'd even seemed to enjoy meeting her too.

"See? I told you it would all go okay," Luke had told his friend as they returned to the dormitory. "I'm not leaving Turner's, and you're getting to go and visit Mister Wright as much as you want. It's a win-win for you, Apollo!"

Apollo had turned red as he waved his friend off, hiding a smile. "Yeah yeah..."

After a peaceful Sunday, Luke had gone in on Monday morning for his weekly check-up at the hospital, and learned his shoulder had healed to the point he no longer needed the sling for his arm. Although the cast was still clunky, and the strap still kept his shoulders forced back, Luke was happy for any sign of getting the lost arm usable once more. Plus, to add to the victory, Nancy had handed him a letter from England when he returned to school.

As it was nearly time anyway, Luke was given permission for an early lunch, and wolfed it down in the cafeteria. Despite having already read it once, he couldn't resist re-reading his letter five times once his plate was emptied, a big grin on his face as he waited for his friends to arrive.

" _There_ you are!"

Luke looked up to see Clay throwing himself at the other side of the table with a clatter of his tray, eyes fixed sternly on Luke. At his side was Apollo, smiling to himself as he more calmly approached to sit at Luke's side. "Hello Clay, hello Apollo!"

"Hey, Luke." Apollo settled in his chair with a grin. "I see you're not stuck with the sling anymore."

Luke nodded. "Yep. I still need the restraint, though."

Clay groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "C'mon, you guys are just teasing me at this point!" He pointed roughly at Apollo, eyes on Luke. "'Pollo here refused to talk about your meeting on Saturday until you got back from your check-up! I've been waiting all morning!"

Apollo hid a snicker behind his sandwich, shrugging nonchalantly. "Eh, nothing much happened. We had a picnic."

Luke bit his lip to hide a smile, busying himself folding up his letter to return to his satchel. "Yeah, that was pretty much it."

Clay collapsed chin-first onto the table with an exaggerated whine. " _Guuuuuuuys_! I've been waiting for this all weekend! The suspense is killing me!"

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you'd only been waiting since this morning?"

Shooting his friend a mock glare, Clay got up and made a feeble swipe at Apollo's tray that failed to actually hit anything. "Just tell me, you jerk! I'll stop being friends with you!"

"Hey, no more getting mocked every five minutes!" Apollo looked to the now-giggling Luke with a bright grin. "Awesome!"

Clay returned to his dramatic whining in response.

As funny as the pair's antics were, Luke shook his head and decided to put Clay out of his misery: "Mister Wright came to pick us up just like he said he would. We went back to his apartment, and met his daughter Trucy, and then we all went to a park near where they live to have a picnic lunch." He nearly tried to shrug before remembering the restraints that prevented him from doing so. "Nothing much. Just like we said."

Clay frowned, mulling over the story. "Huh."

"Apparently they run a talent agency now," Apollo added, his grin fading for a neutral look. "Same office as the old law firm, just re-purposed."

"Really?" Clay leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Wouldn't have guessed an ex-lawyer would turn to running a talent agency."

Luke nodded. "Trucy says she's the one who runs it, but she _is_ eight. On the other hand, she's a professional magician already, so she might have a big hand in it."

Apollo frowned, looking away. Luke wondered if he was reminded of the argument he'd had with the young magician after recognising her costume's origins.

Clay hummed, thinking over Luke's words. "Wonder how the daughter of a lawyer ended up becoming a magician. Kinda weird jump, there."

"Trust me, it's better not to ask," Apollo muttered, glaring at his plate. He followed his statement with a rough bite of his sandwich, tearing off a chunk of the bread in his hand.

Eyebrow raised, Clay's gaze focussed on Apollo. "Why not?"

Luke nervously laughed, raising a hand. "Her parents disappeared like mine, and Mister Wright adopted her. That's all."

"That's _not_ all." Before Luke could stop him, Apollo had dropped his sandwich back on its plate and slammed the table with his fists, facing Clay with a glare. "Do you know what her birth father _did_ to her?"

Luke paused. Those weren't the words he'd been expecting to hear.

"He outright _abandoned_ her! Deliberately!" Apollo scoffed, crossing his arms. "She clearly _idolises_ him, wearing the same costume and everything... and yet that jerk ruined Mister Wright's life and dumped poor Trucy on him to boot! And she's left waiting for him to come back for her, because, by some miracle, Mister Wright's actually taken her in and she _still idolises_ that jerk who dumped her!" He grunted, shaking his head in disgust.

Luke could only stare at Apollo in shock. After the rocky start Apollo and Trucy had back at the Wright Talent Agency, he never expected to see the elder teen angry on the girl's behalf, and for something Trucy herself didn't even mind that much about... at least as far as Luke could tell. _(I guess they connected much more than I thought...)_

Clay watched his friend with wide eyes. "Wow... That _is_ a jerk move."

Apollo nodded, still fuming quietly.

"B-but we had fun on Saturday," Luke hurriedly picked up. "When we were at the park, Trucy totally tired herself out playing on the monkey bars."

Apollo's frown finally switched to a snicker, shooting his friend a grin. "You did too, you big kid."

Luke blushed. "W-well, not really, because of my arm and shoulder..." He indicated the cast sheepishly. "A-and besides, it's only gentlemanly to accompany a lady. Even when it's to play on the equipment."

Apollo uncrossed his arms and turned to face Clay. "Mister Wright hashed out the details of this adoption with Luke. They're going ahead with it."

"I'm staying at Turner's," Luke pointedly added. "I didn't want to leave you guys so soon, not after everything you've done to help me."

"Awww!" Clay gave Luke a goofy smile. "That's so sweet of you, dude." He chuckled, leaning his elbows on the table. "It's really awesome to hear you're sticking around. I guess you'll be heading home over breaks and some weekends, like me?"

Luke nodded. "It's a long trip to where Mister Wright lives, so I'll still be here most of the time."

"Cool!" Clay grabbed the fork off his tray. "Just make sure you don't go home on the weekends we go to the Space Center, okay?"

Luke laughed. "Sure."

Apollo sheepishly ran a hand through his hair. "And don't both of you go home on the same days, okay? I've... gotten used to always having a friend around."

Clay and Luke laughed, both reaching out to pat their friend's shoulders (though Clay had to stand up and lean over the table to do so). "Don't you worry about it, dude," Clay assured him.

"I insisted on staying at Turner's for a reason," Luke added. "I won't let you be alone, Apollo."

Apollo turned red, trying not to look touched as he focussed on his food.

 

* * *

 

_Dear Professor Layton,_

_Thank you so much for replying so quickly! It seems a lot is going on for these first few weeks of my stay here. I can only guess Mr. Wright has been keeping you up-to-date with what we've been doing, but I'll go over it anyway just in case._

_Mr. Wright came to my school the day after you wrote your letter, and told me about his daughter Trucy. Since he adopted her after her father disappeared, he made the same offer to me, and I've decided to accept it on the condition I get to stay at my school. He didn't tell me initially that he'd been disbarred (my friends had to do that), but I suppose I can understand why it took so long for anyone to pass that on to me. I went to visit his home this past weekend, and took Apollo with me, and we all got on very well. Apollo especially has really connected to both Mr. Wright and Trucy, and I think we'll be spending a lot of time together in future. I did find that business card, but only after Mr. Wright told me where it was, and it was a relief that the reason I have Mum and Dad's luggage isn't because they're definitively dead. Mr. Wright is friends with the detective, so I suppose we'll be allowed to join the investigation once this whole 'adoption' business is over with. It's a shame you can't join us, but Mr. Wright and I will do our best to exceed your expectations! I only hope this investigation will not be too long-term._

_I'm glad to hear the clean-up of the Future London incident is going well. I'm sorry Flora was kicked out of the volunteer kitchen, but at least she likes this other job she's doing. I hope this baby she's close to is doing well too. I'm glad to hear Clive admitted to what he did, and I wish Inspector Chelmey luck on his investigation._

_I suppose our letters are destined to be long until everything calms down. I came up with a few new puzzles over the weekend, and I suspect you'll complete them far quicker than Apollo did! I'm looking forward to your next reply already._

_Your friend and apprentice,_

_Luke Triton_

_16th September, 2019_

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/159936395379/tumblr_oowxo8mlZQ1uwes7q)


	25. Due Process

_"In other news, magician Valant Gramarye was released from police custody yesterday morning. He had been arrested in suspicion of the murder of his mentor, Magnifi Gramarye, for which his stage partner Zak Gramarye remains the prime suspect. All three were members of magic act Troupe Gramarye, renowned worldwide for the unique illusions created by its founder, The Great Magnifi, who was shot dead in his hospital room in April. Zak Gramarye faced trial for the murder, but escaped the courthouse before a verdict could be declared and is still on the run. If you or anyone you know has any information on his location, please call the hotline displayed on-screen."_

 

September 18, 5:32PM  
Dormitory  
Room 321

 

It had been four days since Saturday, and Apollo still couldn't quite believe he was living in a world where he'd spent several hours just hanging out with _the_ Phoenix Wright. Also, he was friends with Phoenix Wright's daughter, and classmates with his soon-to-be son... once the offer came through to Luke, that is. Regardless of that, he was friends with Phoenix Wright, and was going to be seeing a lot more of him in future.

Once school had ended, the three boys met up in Luke's room, Clay dragging with him the fold-up stool from his room. As usual, on the advice of Luke, they were doing homework first before moving on to more fun things later: While Luke worked away at his desk, Clay and Apollo used their biggest textbooks, sitting on the stool and Luke's bed respectively.

A knock sounded from the door, followed by a voice: "Knock knock!"

The boys paused, looking up, but Luke was the first to get to his feet. "Hi, Nancy!"

Their dorm-mother's master key turned in the lock and the door opened, revealing the woman's smiling face. "Got a letter for you, Luke."

Luke grinned, running to grab it. "Thank you!" Taking the envelope, he returned to his desk with a bounce in his step. In the absence of any scissors, he used his pen as a makeshift letter-opener instead, struggling to keep the opening neat with only one functional arm.

Nancy noticed the other two boys with a surprised blink. "Ah, you're here too, Apollo." She pulled out another letter, holding it out for him with a smile. "There's one for you as well."

Apollo frowned, placing his work to one side on the bed. "One for me?" He got to his feet and crossed the room hesitantly, taking the offered envelope.

"I'll leave you boys to it," Nancy cheerfully announced. She gave them a wave, then left the room, closing the door behind her.

Apollo stared at the front of the envelope, confirming it did indeed say 'Apollo Justice' right above the address of the school.

Clay moved his own makeshift desk to the floor, eyes on his friend. "Who'd write you a letter?"

Apollo could only shrug, giving his friend a look before moving to rip open the flap. He managed to free the paper inside around the same time as Luke finished opening his, both pulling out their letters to read.

An ominous silence hung over the room as Apollo ran his eyes over the words on the page. He could feel the blood draining from his face, eyes wide in shock.

Luke laughed and cheered, turning to his friends and waving his letter. "It's the adoption offer! Mister Wright put through the request!" He paused as he saw Clay's attention on Apollo, their friend still staring wordlessly at the paper in his hands. Face falling, Luke watched his friend with growing concern. "Apollo?"

Apollo found it hard to speak, his mouth dry. Nevertheless, he managed to shake his head and mutter, "This has to be a cruel joke..."

"What's it say, 'Pollo?" Clay ventured forward a step, one hand reaching out towards their friend. When there was no reaction, he took the letter from Apollo's hands, reading it himself. A moment later, he gasped. "No way!"

Luke clutched his own letter tighter, eyes flicking frantically between his friends. "What? What is it?"

Clay held out the paper for Luke to see. "Someone wants to adopt Apollo!"

"What!?" Luke jumped forward to read the letter himself. He frowned, comparing it to the letter in his hands. "Wow, they're nearly identical... Just our names and the times to meet the social worker are different..."

Clay turned his attention back to their friend, who was still staring into space with a stunned look. "But who would be adopting you? How many adults outside school do you even know?"

Apollo could only shrug, still struggling to process the idea of someone _actually asking to adopt him_. He'd been kicked out of family after family his whole life... What could have prompted this change? "I... I dunno. The Bonneys... The people at the Space Center... But why would they be adopting me? And _now_?"

Luke frowned, thinking. "There's Mister Wright, too. You know him."

"But why would _he_ be adopting me!?" Apollo sighed, pressing a hand to his face as he started to feel light-headed. "Mister Wright's got you and Trucy, and the Bonneys have always been too focussed on being an open foster home to adopt kids, and I don't know anyone at the Space Center who would ever _want_ children or even knows me all that well... W... Why...?"

Clay hurried over to grab his friend by the shoulders, guiding him back to the bed. "Hey, hey, you're fine, 'Pollo. If you don't want to, you can just turn it down, right?"

Apollo let himself be lowered onto the neatly folded sheets of Luke's bed, struggling to keep his breathing calm and to not burst into tears. He was vaguely aware of Clay settling at his side. "B-but that letter says I have to discuss it with my social worker. What if Constantin doesn't let me?"

"He _has_ to let you," Luke said, sitting on the bed and sandwiching Apollo between his friends. "Miss Order and Mister Wright explained it to me last week. You have two chances to turn the whole thing down, at the beginning and at the end... but I'm pretty sure you could stop everything at any point between those two if you wanted to. Mister Constantin would have to follow those rules no matter what."

Apollo managed a quick nod, though he couldn't shake the panic that his friend's assurances would prove false.

"And even if you couldn't, and you had to go to another school," Clay placed the letter down, clutching his friend's arms tight, "we would never stop being friends. C'mon 'Pollo, say it with me: You're Apollo Justice and you're fine!"

Apollo took a deep breath, but could muster the strength into his voice. "I'm Apollo Justice and I'm fine..."

"You're fine, Apollo!" Luke was grinning, holding up his hand in a fist. "Trust us! Try again!"

"I-I'm fine..." Forcing the power back into his vocal chords, Apollo curled his hands and slammed them into his lap. "I'm FINE!"

Clay and Luke laughed, the former shaking his friend's shoulders. "That's it, 'Pollo! You're fine!"

"We're fine!" Luke giggled. "Just you watch, everything'll turn out great!"

Apollo sighed, finally managing a grateful, albeit small, smile. "Thanks, guys."

"No prob, dude." Clay grinned, holding Apollo tight in a half-hug. "Friends look out for each other, right?"

"Yeah..." Apollo's smile grew, looking between his friends. "Yeah, we do."

 

* * *

 

_Sept 18, 2019_

_Valant is out of jail. Detention center. Same thing. I'm glad Trucy was at school when I found out because that was not language fit for a child. I can't question someone who isn't there about Thalassa, her bracelets, or that accident I suspect caused her death. Gumshoe says Valant was kept as long as they legally could, but there simply isn't enough evidence to hold him any longer. I should have found the time between looking for Luke to take care of this. I knew I had limited time and I wasted it. Who knows how long it will take to corner Valant again? I can't accept it won't happen. I suppose I simply have to wait and see if he comes by to visit Trucy someday. The fact that this is also my one and only strategy regarding Zak isn't lost on me. It may be my only hope._

_~~If only Maya were here~~ _

_Adoption offers should have arrived at their destinations by now. I hope Apollo agrees to this._

 

* * *

 

Wednesday became Thursday became Friday, and the time had come for Apollo and Luke to meet their social workers as arranged. As Luke had noted, the date and place was identical for both of them, only the times being different: Apollo was first, and Luke second, two fifteen-minute appointments right after lunch-break. When the bell rang to mark the return of class-time, Apollo bid his friends goodbye, took a deep breath, and headed to the small, empty room by the reception desk.

_knock knock knock_

"Come on in!"

Apollo paused, his fist still raised as if to knock a second time. That voice... was _not_ his social worker's.

"Apollo Justice?"

"Y-yes, it's me!" Mentally kicking himself, Apollo opened the door and peered into the small room, just large enough for a row of spare desks along the wall and a couple of chairs in front of them.

Perched on the far chair was a blonde woman in high heels, legs crossed as she tossed a scarf around her neck. She gave Apollo a smile, showing off lipstick that matched her bright crimson shirt. "Ah, there you are. Could you close the door behind you, please?"

Apollo nodded, pulling the handle at his back as he entered. "I, um... I thought I was supposed to be meeting my social worker?"

The woman grinned. "You are. Mister Constantin handed your case over to me. We agreed it would be easier in the long run, considering your situation."

"O-okay," Apollo muttered, frowning in confusion. A voice at the back of his head was poking at that part of his past he still refused to acknowledge.

Laughing, the woman held out a hand, long nails standing out all the more for the hot pink colour painted onto them. "Ah, but I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Lauren, Lauren Order. You're Apollo Justice, correct?"

Apollo nodded, gingerly shaking her hand and avoiding the nails for fear they may be sharp. "Yeah, that's me." He decided not to point out he'd said as much as he came in.

Lauren smiled, releasing his hand and gesturing to the empty chair between them. "Go ahead and sit down. We have a lot to talk about."

"Uh huh..." Hands gripped together nervously in front of him, Apollo lowered himself into the indicated chair. "So... Someone wants to adopt me."

"Indeed." Lauren arranged some papers on the nearby desk, chuckling. "Honestly, he'll owe me for all of eternity after everything I've done for him. Not that it looks like Mister Constantin was doing much for you anyway after enrolling you here, huh?"

Apollo's hands tightened further in his lap, and he wished he had his bracelet as something more familiar to hold. He whole-heartedly agreed Constantin had never done much for him, not after he'd ran away from the Bonneys on that ill-fated attempt to return to _that place_ , but he wasn't sure what else the man was exactly _supposed_ to be doing for him. He'd never been without a place to stay over school breaks, after all.

Lauren twiddled a pen in her fingers, watching the boy. "Well, we can change all of that today, anyway. If nothing else, I'm handling your case now. If you turn this whole 'adoption' thing down, I can make sure you have a bit more consistency in where you go outside of school. Sound good?"

Apollo thought a moment, then shrugged. He wasn't sure how else to respond.

Lauren frowned, head tilting to one side. "Are you alright, Apollo?"

"I'm fine." Apollo stared at the papers on the desk, partially hidden under Lauren's hand. "Who's trying to adopt me, anyway? Do I even know them?"

After a moment of confused silence, Lauren burst into laughter, dropping her pencil and pressing a hand to her chest. "Oh, you poor boy! No wonder you looked so worried!" She shook her head, waving a hand over her face to calm herself, then directed a sympathetic smile at the teen. "He didn't tell you, did he? He must have wanted to surprise you."

Apollo could only stare back at her. _(He? Surprise me? He who?)_

Lauren scoffed, rolling her eyes. "He's making a habit of this. First me about Luke, and now you about me..."

Hearing that, Apollo's eyes widened. "Luke!? You mean...?"

"Yep, exactly: The person asking to adopt you is Phoenix Wright." Lauren chuckled. "I was starting to worry for a moment there he gave me the wrong name..."

Apollo sighed in relief, holding his head in his hands. That this offer had nothing to do with _that place_ felt like a heavy chain had been unwound from his chest. He had to blink back tears as he looked back up at the woman opposite him. "So, when I told Mister Wright on Saturday I didn't have a family, he...?"

"He asked to adopt you, yes. I took your case from Mister Constantin because it would be easier for one of us to handle both you and Luke at once than two of us doing the same thing separately." Lauren's smile tightened in concern. "Are you sure you're alright, Apollo?"

"I'm... I'm fine," Apollo repeated, and followed the words up with a stunned laugh. "I _am_ fine. _Mister Wright_ is _adopting me_..." He paused, then frowned, though the smile didn't entirely leave his face. "Why _is_ he adopting me?"

Lauren shrugged. "He didn't tell me. You'd have to ask him yourself." She pointed to her papers. "I take it you're happy to go ahead for now?"

Apollo grinned and nodded. "You bet I am! Who _wouldn't_?"

Lauren thought over his question a moment, then laughed. "A good point."

 

Fifteen minutes later, Luke stood nervously by the wall outside the appointed meeting place. He could hear from inside the muffled and indistinct voices of Apollo and what sounded like Lauren. _(Didn't Apollo say Mister Constantin was his social worker?)_ As he had been since Wednesday, he worried about his friend. The hope that the originator of the offer had been Phoenix for both of them was only countered by the question of _why_. He knew they'd all connected on Saturday, but it sounded like Phoenix and Trucy barely got by already. Surely they couldn't afford to take in both Luke _and_ Apollo, let alone give them both their own spaces in that small apartment.

The door next to him opened, startling Luke from his thoughts, and he looked up to see a cheerful Apollo emerging into the hallway, spotting his friend with a grin.

"Hey, Luke!" Apollo laughed, and gave the younger boy a wave. "Good luck in there, bro!"

Luke mutely waved back. _(Bro?)_

Apollo just giggled, shoved his hands in his pockets, and strolled off down the hallway.

Lauren appeared in the open doorway, twirling a pen in one hand. "Ah, Luke! Ready to get this paperwork sorted?"

Luke gave the woman a nod, but paused before entering the room to look off in the direction his friend had disappeared. After a moment of thought, he smiled. _(I may not know the 'whys'... but I think I was right after all!)_

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/159973361159/tumblr_ooyr4wQRSC1uwes7q)


	26. Calls from the Past

"Hey, Edgeworth. Isn't it the middle of the night for you right now?"

"Very amusing. I'm in Canada. There is practically no difference in time-zones."

"Eh, can you blame me though? Usually you go off to Europe or Asia. I can never keep track of where you are. What am I, your babysitter?"

"No, but I'm apparently yours. I just received an interesting call from Trucy's social worker."

"Ah... I... didn't want to bother you, y'know? You being off on another of your trips and all."

"You got caught up in your investigation into Kristoph Gavin and forgot, didn't you."

"..."

"I'll take your silence as a yes. You know full well the state only allowed you to take Trucy in because I was vouching for you. What were you thinking, Wright?"

"Hey, I took a good long look at the kind of money we make and I think we can handle taking in two more, especially if they both pull their weight."

"I'm sorry, did you just say _two_ and _both_? Are you telling me you plan on having adopted _three children_ in total?"

"... Um."

" _Are you out of your mind_?"

"Ms Order didn't mention the other one, did she."

" _Wright_."

"Hey, I _have_ to take them both in. Luke is my friend, I can't leave him all alone... and Apollo... Look, just let me explain before you start judging me, Edgeworth."

"... Alright then, I'm listening. And this had better be good."

 

September 20, 3:32PM  
Dormitory  
Room 303

 

Apollo had spent the rest of the afternoon after meeting Lauren in a giddy daze. Clay had given him strange looks, but, being in class, Apollo hadn't a chance to explain until finally school ended for the day, and he made a run for his room back in the dormitory to drop off his books. He intended to meet up with his friends again, as usual, in Luke's room, but found as he arrived that his plans had changed: As he was dumping his schoolbag on the desk and reaching for his bracelet nearby, the door, creaking as it slowly swung closed, opened again with a bang.

Clay jumped into the room, dragging Luke by the arm behind him. "Alright, spill the beans, 'Pollo! How'd the meeting go?"

Apollo stared at his friend for a moment before sighing and turning his attention to rolling up his sleeves. "Man, you're impatient."

Clay wordlessly shouted in frustration, dropping Luke's arm and closing the door behind them.

Luke smiled, stepping forward to Apollo's side. "We know you were worrying a lot about this meeting. What did you and Ms Order decide?"

Finished with his sleeves, Apollo picked up his bracelet, slipping it onto his left wrist with a grin. "Well, for one thing, Mister 'Inn Competent' isn't my social worker anymore."

"That's good!"

Clay scoffed, throwing himself back-first on Apollo's bed. "Okay, I'm glad for ya. But what about this adoption thing? Do you even know whoever this person is who sent it?"

Apollo snorted and decided to ignore Clay for now, turning to Luke. "What'd you say to Mister Wright?"

"I said 'yes', just as we'd agreed." Luke smiled, clutching the strap of his satchel with his free hand. "Two meetings with him and Ms Order to go, then it will all be official. Did you say 'yes' to him too?"

Clay pushed himself into a sitting position. "Wait, 'him too'?"

Apollo raised an eyebrow at his younger friend, though he couldn't find it in him to be annoyed. "Did you know?"

Luke giggled. "I guessed. It was either him or the Bonneys, and..." He paused, trying not to blush. "Well, I've never heard you call anyone 'bro' before."

"'Him' again!" Clay looked between the two with brows pressed together. "Him _who_?"

Apollo laughed. "Yeah, I did call you that, huh? Didn't really think about it, just figured... I've never really had the opportunity to call someone that before now." He decided not to ruin his good mood by mentally attaching a former foster brother to the statement, instead focussing on the soon-to-be adoptive brother standing in front of him.

"Him who!?" Clay jumped back to his feet, staring between the two. "Are you guys saying what I think you're saying!?"

Apollo and Luke met each other's eyes with restrained giggles, then turned to their friend. "We're both getting adopted by Mister Wright," Apollo explained.

Clay could only stare for a very long moment. Finally, his mouth dropped open, then morphed into a wide smile, emitting a wordless shout of joy as the teen jumped on his friends and wrapped his arms around their necks. "Dudes, that is _so cool_! How many kids get adopted by their idols like that! And you two are gonna be _brothers_ now!"

The other two could only laugh, their hands at Clay's arms. Apollo poked his friend's middle, saying, "Now you know why I've been so happy since finding out!"

"You bet!" Clay released his friends, punching Apollo's arm and moving to also punch Luke's before his eyes passed over the younger boy's arm cast and he changed his mind. "So when do you start calling him 'Dad'? Is that an immediate thing, or are you waiting for it to be official?"

Apollo gasped, eyes wide. "Oh my gosh... I get to call Mister Wright _Dad_..." He bit his lip, a worried look overtaking his face. "W-would he be okay with that? I mean, Trucy calls him 'Daddy', but..."

"I'm sure he'd be fine with it," Luke mumbled, his own expression mirroring Apollo's. "I... I can't call him 'Dad' though. I just... can't."

"Hey, that's okay. You already have a dad, after all." Clay patted Luke's shoulder. "But... you really can't keep calling him 'Mister Wright' once you've been adopted."

Apollo nodded. "There _are_ other words you could use. I've seen people call their dads 'Father', or 'Papa', or 'Pops'..."

Luke's frown deepened. "I... don't know."

Clay nodded. "You can talk to him about it in those meetings you mentioned earlier. If you can't call him your dad, you could always just use his first name."

"Phoenix?" Luke thought a moment, then a small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. "I guess I could call him 'Nick'."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "Nick?"

"I think it's short for 'Phoenix'," Luke giggled. "Maya calls him that... but I think I'll ask if it's okay before I use it."

"Phoe _nix_..." Apollo crossed his arms, humming in thought. "Huh, you're right. Never noticed that."

Clay stuck his hands in his pockets, watching Luke curiously. "Who's Maya?"

"A friend. She came to England with Mister Wright last year." He clutched at his satchel strap, eyes on the trees outside Apollo's window. "Apparently she's really busy back at her village right now. I hope she's able to visit soon."

Apollo shrugged. "If she's a friend of Mister Wright's, staying away might be a good plan, considering what happened." He shot his friend a comforting smile. "And if she's a friend of _yours_ , I know she'll come visit, if only to check on you."

Luke blushed, grip on his satchel tightening. "I hope so."

 

* * *

 

"Why hello there, oh great Master of Kurain! Why is a great spirit medium such as yourself taking time out of her busy schedule to call little lowly me?"

"Lowly? C'mon, that doesn't fit you _at all_ , Nick!"

"Haha! You were able to call after all? I thought you said you'd be too busy."

"Eh, I managed to sneak away for a bit. I mean, I kinda _had_ to. How's everything going with Luke? Did you manage to talk over everything?"

"Yep, we had a good talk. I took him and this friend of his over to the park with Trucy."

"Oooh, yeah, the friend! Tell me he's a good kid like Luke. I'll go right down there myself if Luke's fallen in with a jerk."

"Hey, you don't have to worry about Apollo. In fact, speaking of Apollo, was there something you forgot to tell me about, Maya?"

"Hm? No, I can't think of anything."

"Huh, really. Because he was telling me something very interesting about a _fan club_ he used to belong to."

"...!"

"A 'semi-official' one. All about _me_."

"..."

"It's not that hard to guess who 'Fairy-Mine' and 'Fairy-Pearl' were, Maya."

"My-Fairy and Precious-Fairy! C'mon Nick, if you're going to rumble me, do it right!"

"So I'm not good with tech. Sue me."

"*sigh* Yeah, okay, we started a Phoenix Wright fan club. 'Semi-official' because, well, I was a worker at the office just like you, so it was kinda like my job, right? And it was really popular, once word got out. It's kinda funny actually: I got inspired to get it going after seeing how much Maggey admired you, then when Pearly and I couldn't run it anymore, Maggey ended up being the one who stepped forward to take it over. It's just too bad the whole thing kinda collapsed after..."

"..."

"Y-you know."

"... Well, we have other things to talk about, while I have you on the line. Trucy's about to get older brothers. Plural."

"Plural...? Nick, are you developing a problem here, taking in abandoned kids...?"

"Haha, it does look like that from a distance, huh? Just listen to my reasoning and I think you'll agree this is the right thing to do..."

 

* * *

 

Only minutes after the conversation with his friends, Apollo was downstairs in Nancy's room, lingering by the bracket on the wall where the dormitory landline lived. In his hands was the receiver, a ringing sound buzzing from the tiny speaker pressed to his ear. Finally, it cut out, replaced with the muffled ambience of the quiet room on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Hey Kerensa, it's Apollo!"

"Apollo, hey! Sorry, I don't have much time to talk right now... I gotta save this number in my phone, huh?"

Apollo laughed along with his former foster sister. "Yep." He'd called her already the previous week, when she had first promised to save his number, but evidently she had never gotten around to it. "Don't worry, I'll be quick: I have some... pretty amazing news to tell you."

"Oh?" Kerensa sounded intrigued. "What happened?"

Apollo had to pause to take a deep breath, still feeling a little giddy from the revelation. "I'm... I'm being adopted."

"What!?" There was a long silence before Kerensa laughed. "Um, wow, that _is_ kinda amazing. And kinda out of the blue, to be honest."

"Yeah, I wasn't sure what to think of it at first either." Apollo chuckled. "But I've met the guy, and he's a friend of Luke's, and he adopted a little girl earlier this year too. We're all gonna be a family together."

Kerensa didn't immediately reply. "Huh. Congratulations, I guess." She hummed briefly, and the wariness in her tone was replaced with an audible smile. "Well, if you're excited about it, I'm happy for you. Congratulations, Apollo."

Apollo blushed, gripping the phone tighter. "Thanks. It really means a lot to me." He paused a moment. "I'll still keep in touch with you, Kerensa. I promise. Maybe I could introduce you to my new dad and sister one day?"

Kerensa chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds great. Maybe my mom and dad could meet them too. Oh, did you want to tell them about this yourself, or can I tell them?"

"You can tell them. I might be too busy with the whole adoption thing to get around to it myself." Apollo had to think to remember where he'd left Willow's business card, as it had somehow gotten separated from the scrap of paper with Kerensa's number the last time he'd called the older teen. "I guess somebody else would have to tell Ryder anyway. I only have your and Willow's numbers."

"Then I'll take care of that for ya. You concentrate on your new family." Kerensa thought in silence for a second. "And take care of yourself, okay?"

"Don't worry about me." Even though she couldn't see it, Apollo directed a reassuring grin at the phone. "I know I'll be fine. And I'll call you back in another week or two."

There was a short silence before Kerensa replied. "You got it, Apollo."

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/160009680884/tumblr_op0kobMl0D1uwes7q)


	27. Dropping Hint Coins

September 24, 5:32PM  
Sirius Turner Boarding School for Boys  
Courtyard

 

If there was one thing that had delighted Phoenix over the past week, it was Trucy's reactions to the hints he'd been giving her.

"It looks like your new brothers have accepted the adoption."

"Heehee! You mean 'brother', Daddy!"

"Ah, do I?"

"Pfft, _duh_."

He'd been unsure whether to tell her outright he wanted to adopt Apollo, just in case the teenage boy (it was still odd processing that he was Trucy's long lost half-brother) turned him down. By the time Lauren had contacted him to arrange the supervised meetings, confirming both Apollo and Luke had accepted, he found Trucy's brushing off of his hints amusing enough to continue not explaining.

"It's been arranged for us to meet your new brothers after school tomorrow. We'll head straight there after I pick you up."

"Daddy, you did it again! I'm only getting _one_ new brother: _Luke_!"

"Are you?"

"Um, _yeah_. We talked about it last week."

"Hmm. I suppose so."

"...?"

Tuesday afternoon came, and he met his daughter as planned outside her school.

"C'mon, let's go meet your new brothers, shall we?"

" _Brother_ , Daddy."

"If you say so, Trucy."

To her credit, her suspicious stares were getting progressively longer.

Phoenix and Trucy arrived that afternoon at the gate, just as they had the previous week. Trucy clutched at the straps of her school backpack, peering through the bars into the courtyard beyond. After a moment, she grinned and waved, and Phoenix noticed she had caught sight of three uniformed boys sitting on a bench several metres away. Next to them stood a well-dressed woman reading some papers in her hands, only glancing upwards as the boys began to excitedly return waves.

Phoenix simply smiled as he pressed the button next to the gate. "Hey, this is Phoenix Wright. I'm meeting with two of your students here?"

There was a short pause, then the speaker buzzed to life. "Yep, Ms Order said she'd be waiting for you nearby. I'll let you in."

The moment Phoenix opened the gate, Trucy dashed through, rushing towards the assembled group nearby. "Luke! You accepted!"

Luke laughed as he got to his feet, and was immediately slammed into by the over-excited eight-year-old. "Of course I accepted! I said I would, didn't I?"

Trucy giggled as she stepped back, belatedly remembering his broken arm and gently tapping the cast with a blush. She paused as she noticed something had changed since their last meeting. "Hey, you don't have a sling anymore!"

"I don't need it," Luke explained. "My shoulder's healing."

"Yeah, he's not gonna need that cast forever." Apollo snorted as he stood, Clay and Lauren also standing from the bench. "Did you forget that in all the excitement?"

Trucy just stuck out her tongue in Apollo's direction.

Phoenix chuckled as he joined the group. "Ms Order, Luke, Apollo. Good to see you all again." He turned his gaze to the third boy of the group. "And you must be a friend."

Clay grinned, tapping the brim of his visor in a mock-salute. "Clay Terran. I've heard a lot about you, Mister Wright."

Phoenix kept his smile firmly in place, trying not to sound bitter as he replied, "There aren't many who haven't, these days."

"Oh, only the good stuff of course." Clay jerked a thumb in the direction of his friends. "These two won't stop bragging."

Apollo turned red, eyes wide. "I don't _brag_!"

"It's not gentlemanly to brag!" Luke huffed, approximating crossing his arms around his cast. "Besides, _Apollo_ was the one doing all the boasting."

Phoenix raised an eyebrow.

Apollo's face got even redder. "I was not!"

Trucy giggled. "What were you boasting about, Polly? Getting to be friends with me and Daddy isn't a big deal."

"Friends?" Apollo frowned at the girl, his skin returning to its normal pallor. "What do you mean, 'friends'?"

Lauren sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Mister Wright, please tell me you told _someone_ other than me about the second adoption."

Phoenix couldn't help a grin, and shrugged. "To use an old legal term, _mea culpa_. I was going to tell Trucy, but it was just too cute seeing her 'correct' me every time I spoke about her new brothers."

Trucy's eyes widened dramatically. "Wait, you _weren't_ joking!? You actually _meant_ to say 'brothers' instead of 'brother' all this time!?"

Apollo was still frowning, looking concerned. "You... haven't changed your mind, have you?"

"Oh, of course not." Phoenix gave the teen what he hoped was a reassuringly solemn expression. "Sending an adoption offer is no frivolous matter. I meant every word of that form letter." He smiled. "And I'm glad you accepted."

Apollo blushed, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm getting Polly too?" Trucy squealed, bouncing across to envelop the older boy in a hug. "I'm getting _two_ brothers! The Missing Parents Club is all going to be under one roof! This is so cool!"

"Um..." Apollo stood somewhat awkwardly with the girl latched around his middle, unsure how to react.

Clay laughed, elbowing his friend. "Good luck, dude."

Apollo shot his friend a glare in return.

 

* * *

 

Once Clay had finally been shooed away, Lauren took the group into the main building and to an empty classroom she's been permitted to use. "I'm sorry we have to do this first meeting at the school," she told them as she pulled out a few chairs from behind desks to arrange in a circle. "I'm sure you boys would have appreciated a chance to get out of here for once."

"It's fine, Miss Order," Luke insisted, grabbing his own chair to sit in. "Where else could we meet in private, anyway?"

Trucy gasped, catapulting herself into the chair next to Luke's. "You could come see my show! I never got a chance to show you my magic last time, so you could come to the Wonder Bar one Saturday and see it all there!"

Apollo raised an eyebrow as he sat down, watching the girl closely. "You perform at a bar?"

"It's a restaurant, actually." Phoenix chuckled, a hand at his chin as he lowered himself into the neighbouring chair. "A lucky break finding it, too. Not too far from home, and the manager is very agreeable."

Lauren nodded, sitting in the final seat. "I've been there a couple times. Trucy having a steady job supporting her family was something we had to thoroughly discuss before allowing her to be adopted."

"And it's the best job in the world!" Trucy directed a grin at Lauren. "So they can come see my show on Saturday, right?"

Lauren thought a moment, then laughed. "Why not?"

Cheering, Trucy jumped into the air once or twice before dropping back into her chair.

Apollo snorted at the girl, then turned to Phoenix. "By the way, if you're going to adopt us, we can't exactly call you 'Mister Wright' anymore, can we?"

"True." Phoenix rubbed his chin, staring at the ceiling. "You could always call me 'Nick' if you want. Or, since Trucy calls me 'Daddy', a variant of that." He shrugged, hand moving back into his hoodie pockets. "Whatever you're most comfortable with."

Apollo bit his lip to hide his grin. "Great. Thanks!"

Luke hummed in thought. "Nick... It'll be strange to get used to, but I'll adjust to it, I suppose. Maya called you that, after all."

"Yeah, you said that on Friday." Apollo turned to Phoenix with a curious frown. "Maya's a friend of yours?"

Trucy's eyes widened. "A friend? A _girl_ friend?"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Phoenix blurted out, blushing, but quickly back-pedalled, clearing his throat and avoiding everyone else's eyes. "I mean, well, she's a _friend_ , who happens to be a girl. Or, young woman. She _is_ twenty."

Apollo raised an eyebrow, locking gazes with the excited Trucy.

Luke didn't react to Phoenix's suspicious behaviour, asking, "You said she's busy back at her village. How's she doing?"

"Pretty well, last I heard." With the 'subject' changed, the blush was beginning to fade from Phoenix's cheeks, and he was able to make eye contact again. "She suddenly inherited a very important leadership position, and had to stop working as my assistant to take care of it." His eyes turned away with a sad look. "A good thing in the long run, really. Maya wasn't anywhere near me when..."

Apollo crossed his arms, watching Phoenix suspiciously. "Wait a sec. This 'Maya' was your _assistant_? The one who always stood next to you in court?"

"Nearly always." Phoenix shot the teen a smirk. "Purple kimono, long black hair, tendency to get herself in trouble. I'm pretty sure I mentioned her several times last week."

Apollo opened his mouth to protest, only to close it again as he reasoned he was pretty terrible at remembering names, so it was very likely Phoenix was telling the truth. Besides, he recognised the description as matching the uniquely-dressed woman he'd seen in court so many times; It was only to be expected someone that close to Phoenix would have been name-dropped during a lengthy discussion of the cases she'd helped solve.

Luke bit his lip, looking worried. "Apollo was telling me before, a few of your cases involved spirit mediums. Was Maya...?"

Phoenix nodded, smirk fading to a solemn expression. "She was involved in all of those, yes. It's a long story." He smiled. "You can ask her yourself when she next calls."

Trucy squeaked, then stifled the noise by pressing both hands to her mouth, hiding a massive grin.

"That sounds good." Luke chuckled. "Although I doubt any of your other cases went as badly as that one in Labyrinthia."

Phoenix laughed, blushing as he scratched his head through the beanie. "No, not _quite_ that badly... though it got very close a couple of times."

Apollo's eyebrows shot up, intrigued. "You had cases in England?"

Phoenix snorted in amusement. "How did I know you'd want to hear about them, Apollo? I must be getting to know you."

Blushing, Apollo looked away.

"Never mind that!" Trucy jerked a finger in her father's direction. "If Miss Maya was your assistant and still calls regularly and is so important to you, how come you never mentioned her before today?"

"Technically, I _have_ ," Phoenix chuckled. "Maybe not by name, but I've referred to her a few times."

Trucy narrowed her eyes at Phoenix, but decided to accept his excuse. "Okay then." Her scowl was promptly swapped out for a bright grin. "When do we get to see her?"

Phoenix sighed, deciding said event was a foregone conclusion now. "I'd have to ask her. Like I said, she's very busy... and it's not exactly a good idea for her to be anywhere near me after what happened."

"Hence why you've never mentioned her before," Apollo muttered, pressing a finger to his forehead.

Luke was unsure. "Maya didn't seem like the type to care about that, though. She's really not come back once since you lost your badge?"

Phoenix shrugged. "She came back a couple times right after... and I did have to convince her to stop after that first week. She lives two hours away, so it's quite a trip anyway." He frowned, thinking hard. "I thought it would be easier if no-one else knew about her, but... Well, I guess we'll just have to talk about it."

 

* * *

 

The time flew by, and all too soon the newly forged family had to split up once again. Lauren escorted Phoenix and Trucy back to the gate under the darkening sky, and Luke and Apollo tagged along to bid farewell to their visitors.

"We'll see you on Saturday, then?" Luke asked.

"You bet!" Trucy leapt on the boy with a hug. "Daddy and I will start getting your room ready! You'll have to share it."

Apollo chuckled. "I don't mind. We're spending most of our time back here anyway."

Trucy looked up at him with surprise, then scowled. "So now I'm going to get _two_ big brothers, and _neither_ of you will be around?"

"We'll certainly be around, Trucy," Luke assured her. "Just not all the time."

Lauren pushed open the gate, beckoning to the Wrights. "C'mon, time to get out of here. I can't hang around all evening."

Luke turned to Apollo. "Oh yes, and we need to go eat before the kitchen closes."

Apollo nodded. "Clay will probably be waiting for us."

Luke dashed ahead, giving Phoenix a one-armed hug. "We'll see you on Saturday, Mist-, um, Nick!"

Phoenix chuckled. "I'm looking forward to it."

Luke grinned, waved goodbye to Trucy, then raced back into the main building.

Trucy jumped on Apollo, squeezing his waist between her arms. "I'm glad you're going to be my big brother, Polly."

Apollo was a little surprised at first, but slowly smiled and patted the girl's back. "Me too, Truce."

Giggling, Trucy jumped back. "Race you to the bus stop, Daddy!"

Phoenix reached out to grab the girl's backpack, only narrowly missing. "Trucy!" Sighing, he let the girl go, turning to Apollo. "Saturday then."

Apollo nodded, tapping at his bracelet as his cheeks flushed pink. After barely a moment of thought, he jumped forward and threw his arms around Phoenix, face buried in the man's shoulder. "Thank you for all of this... Dad."

Although a little dumbstruck at first, finally Phoenix smiled, and patted the teen's back. "You're very welcome." He wanted to say more, to ask what kind of person he would have to be to have left Apollo where he was... but he knew anything more coming out of his mouth would only ruin the moment.

They kept up the hug for several seconds, until Apollo finally pulled away with a red face. He shot Phoenix a sheepish smile, ran a hand through his hair, then turned and fled in the direction of the main building.

 

[View the Court Record/Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/160045781714/tumblr_op2fh69MVL1uwes7q)


	28. Bad Memories

_My dear Luke,_

_Much is indeed 'going on', as you say. A natural consequence of such a big change in your life. Mr. Wright has kept me up to date with regular calls, though he has probably told you they are no longer daily._

_When I heard Mr. Wright intended to adopt you, it was a little shocking, but I agree it does seem the best option given this strange situation with the disappearance of your parents. I'm glad to hear you considered your choices before making a decision. Mr. Wright tells me you didn't wish to leave your friends at your new school. This Apollo in particular, Mr. Wright seems especially taken with._

_I am confident you and Mr. Wright will do well on your investigations. I know from our experiences together in Labyrinthia that Mr. Wright can be trusted to put his all into any case he is given, and you have accompanied me for long enough that I have more than enough faith in your ability. You will surely find Clark and Brenda in no time._

_Flora is doing better and better by the day. She borrowed a heaping pile of cook books from the university library, and I've been helping her follow the instructions to make all kinds of things. They're coming out very well, too. She is already miles ahead of that fish cake she put together for your farewell gift! As for that baby, Flora's grown as exceedingly attached to him as she is to cooking. She's even begun asking if we can take him in ourselves, since it was partly because of us his family was killed. I must admit, if I was ever to have children, adoption would be the only route I'd take. I always told myself I'd adopt as my parents did, to take in a child in need of a family. Claire whole-heartedly agreed with me, in the brief time we were together. After all, even if we never made it official, I ended up adopting Flora. We're still discussing what to do about this baby, so nothing is concrete yet. His name is Alfendi. He is fussy, and hard to befriend, but he would be a perfect candidate._

_Your puzzles were indeed much fun, and perfectly solvable. It is a shame your friend Apollo had such trouble with them. I've included a few simpler ones he may enjoy more, as well as some harder ones I'm sure you will love._

_Your friend,_

_Professor Hershel Layton_

_21st September, 2019_

 

September 28, 6:53PM  
Wonder Bar  
Outside

 

Phoenix waited with bated breath outside the Wonder Bar's front door. After last meeting his future sons on Tuesday, Lauren had called to confirm that they were following Trucy's suggestion, of making their second meeting a family outing to the girl's show. Everything seemed to line up well, and, anticipating a good outcome, Lauren even came to the office on Friday to look around the small home, already assessing whether it would meet the two boys' needs.

"Yes, yes, I think this will do." She smiled, marking something down on the paper pinned to her clipboard. "While I'm here, we may as well get some paperwork done early, too. Make everything run a little smoother later on."

But now Saturday had come. Phoenix had spoken to the restaurant's manager, one Aderyn Vogel (who Phoenix had met quite a few times by now), and had a table near the stage reserved. Just for fun, he'd even hinted to Trucy that she might want to specifically pick out Apollo as her 'lovely assistant' from the audience, though it was up to her if she actually followed the suggestion. All that was left to do now was for Lauren to collect Luke and Apollo from their school and take them across the city to the arranged meeting place... and Phoenix dearly hoped she wouldn't get lost on the way.

Dodging passing pedestrians and trying not to look too much like a lingering homeless man (he didn't want to risk someone calling the police and asking him to 'move on'), Phoenix nearly missed the approach of the glamorous woman with the two teenage boys trailing behind her like ducklings. "Ms Order!" He jumped towards them with a wave, hoping they wouldn't accidentally bypass him.

Lauren paused and looked up, face breaking into a smile as she recognised the man approaching them. "Mister Wright. Thank you for waiting for us."

Apollo and Luke both grinned, calling "Hey!" and "Hello!" respectively.

Phoenix chuckled, waving them all towards the restaurant's entrance. "Come on in. I've already reserved our table."

 

It didn't take more than a couple of minutes to direct the small group to the small semi-circular table, four chairs arranged along the curved side and facing the nearby stage. Lauren sat on one of the end seats and Apollo took the other, leaving Luke next to Lauren, and Phoenix between the two boys.

"So, when does Trucy's show start, Nick?" Luke asked.

"She's the third of six acts, so..." Phoenix pulled out his phone to check the time. "Trucy will be on in just under half-an-hour." He slipped the phone back into his pocket. "They're ten minutes each, so she should be offstage around half-past, then I'll have to sneak out to get her home."

Lauren nodded, and looked to the boys. "We don't necessarily have to do the same. If you boys want to leave at the same time, we will."

Luke and Apollo frowned at each other, unsure how to answer.

"No need to decide now," Lauren continued, waving a manicured hand. "I'll ask after Trucy's performance, once Mister Wright has left."

Apollo looked around the restaurant. "Um, when is the show starting?"

"About five minutes now," Phoenix replied. "Why?"

Blushing, Apollo ran a hand through his hair. "I, um... Where's the bathroom?"

Phoenix couldn't help a chuckle as he got to his feet. "I'll show you. It's easy to get lost around here if you're new." While Apollo gratefully jumped off his chair, Phoenix waved to Lauren and Luke. "We'll be back soon."

Weaving through the tables, Phoenix led Apollo across the restaurant floor, to a corner opposite from the stage, the bar, and even the entrance. Tucked away under a dim light was a single door, the sign on the front showing the unmistakable symbol for an all-use toilet, white paint greyed with dust and built-up dirt. Above the handle was a small window, showing a red 'OCCUPIED' just inside.

"Huh." Phoenix turned to Apollo and shrugged. "Guess you'll have to wait for whoever's in there to finish up first."

Apollo laughed in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah... That's fine. I just figured I should go before the show starts."

Phoenix nodded, giving the boy a smile. The pair stood in comfortable silence for a few moments before he decided to continue: "Actually, while we're alone, there was something I wanted to ask you about, Apollo."

The teen noticeably tensed, watching Phoenix carefully. "O-oh? About what?"

Phoenix wasn't sure what to think about Apollo's nervousness, but decided to push ahead anyway. "Ms Order and I were getting started on your paperwork, and I noticed you only entered the Californian foster system in 2013."

Apollo bit his lip and nodded, arms tightly crossed and eyes on the floor. "Mm-hmm."

There was a short pause before Phoenix realised Apollo wasn't going to continue. "Well, I'd never heard of the country you came from, so I looked it up. I don't know how to pronounce it, but it's in east Asia, right? Near India?"

Again, Apollo nodded. "Yeah. Around there."

Another long pause of uncomfortable silence. Finally, Phoenix sighed. "I can see you don't want to talk about it, so I'll stop there. I was just curious."

Apollo instantly relaxed, glancing up towards Phoenix's face once more. "Thanks... I just.. I have bad memories of that place." His arms fell from across his chest, right hand clutching the bracelet on his left wrist. "I just want to pretend it all never happened."

"Understood." Phoenix rested a hand on the teen's shoulder, giving him an assuring look. "I won't mention it again, then. Not unless you bring it up yourself."

Apollo managed a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Dad." His face reddened a little as he looked away again. "It _is_ okay if I call you that, right?"

Phoenix could only laugh.

 

It was a few minutes before Apollo rejoined the table near the stage, Phoenix having gone ahead of him once the toilet was free. Phoenix gave him a quick smile as he slipped into his seat, though the teen opted only to shoot a grin in return, listening to the ongoing conversation.

"She showed me several little things whenever we happened to have free time between all the official adoption business," Lauren was explaining to Luke, "but a few off-hand tricks are _nothing_ compared to a full-on Troupe Gramarye show." She sighed, shaking her head. "Of course, not that I'm expecting her to be on the same level as her father or grandfather. She's only just started professionally, so it'll be a long time before she can match them now they're no longer around to teach her themselves."

"It certainly sounds very interesting." Luke tapped his chin, thinking. "I think I've heard of Troupe Gramarye in passing, so they probably came to England a few times. I'll have to ask Trucy more when we have time together."

"You're always welcome to come back and see how she improves, Ms Order," Phoenix suggested. "We have an agreement with the manager here: Trucy performs every Saturday, in a relatively early slot so she doesn't have to stay up late... Also, if I have work, so that I have time to pick her up first."

Lauren raised an eyebrow. "You work nights?"

Phoenix shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "Another reason she only performs on Saturdays. I promised her I'd let her do Fridays too if she proves she can keep up with her homework." He rolled his eyes. "Apparently her previous school was on the verge of kicking her out anyway, though that was more unpaid fees than homework issues."

Apollo hid a snicker behind a hand. "Do you come and see all her shows?"

Phoenix shook his head. "Ms Vogel, the manager, frowns on me reserving a seat every week, so I only come when Trucy tells me her act is significantly changed. Oh, and," he looked between the two boys, keeping his focus mostly on Apollo, "I'd be careful if I were you two. She may just pull one of you up on stage to be her 'beautiful assistant' tonight."

Apollo gave Phoenix a highly suspicious frown. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"That sounds very interesting, actually!" Luke giggled, then leaned forward to better see his friend on Phoenix's other side. "Have you ever seen a magic show before, Apollo? This is my first time."

Apollo thought a long moment before finally shaking his head. "No, this is my first time too." He pressed a finger to his forehead. "I saw Troupe Gramarye on TV a couple times, but I've never really been much interested in magic... not enough to track down videos of their show, anyway."

Phoenix laughed. "Well, I'm sure you'll love this even if you're not a big fan of stage magic." As he spoke, the lights above them began to dim, the murmur of the crowd falling to a hush.

The show had begun.

 

[View the Court Record](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/160082157244/tumblr_op4cv1OJRs1uwes7q)


	29. A Perfectly Ordinary Show

September 28, 7:20PM  
Wonder Bar  
Restaurant

 

For the fourth time that night, the host strode out on stage, the bottom of her long black skirt swishing around her ankles. "Well, well, well. Not the funniest comedy act we've seen, but everyone has to start somewhere, _nicht_?" The audience gave the woman a gentle laugh, which she waved off. "Ah, but I waffle. Our next act would blow _anyone_ outta the water. _Meine Damen und Herren_ , I am _very_ proud to present our young resident magician, Trucy!" She clapped along with the audience as she walked right back off-stage.

The deep red curtains slid aside, and the gap between was filled very quickly by the familiar eight-year-old in her pinkish-red cape and top hat. She grinned out at the audience as her minimal 'set' came into view behind her, no doubt put together in quite a hurry during the short time the curtains had been closed between acts: Near the front was a table, packed with a collection of small props. Off on both sides, upstage a little, were large wooden frames holding curtains the same shade as Trucy's costume.

Trucy giggled as the applause died down, giving the audience a cheeky wave. "Hi! Is everyone having fun tonight?"

Parts of the crowd cheered. Others laughed, or simply made murmurs of approval.

"Good!" Trucy clapped her hands together. "If you're already having fun, my work here is done!" She paused to let the audience laugh, then waved off her own comment. "But of course, some of you _aren't_ having fun yet. How could I abandon _you_ guys? Stop me if you've seen this one!" Grinning widely, Trucy held up her hands towards the crowd, palms out and pressed together. One was curled into a fist, while the other had only two fingers pointing down, revealing the tip of her thumb. She separated her hands to a mixture of chuckling and groans, though some in the audience gave her enthusiastic cheers instead. Trucy was clearly delighted at that response, waving to the group that had done so. "Thank you! You're so easily impressed!" The laughter returned, louder this time, but Trucy was already turning to skip back to her table of props. "Let's see if I can find something even _more_ impressive!" She rooted through her props for a few moments, then pulled out a deck of cards, showing it off to the audience. "A perfectly ordinary deck of cards, right?" Idly shuffling the item in her gloved hands, she strode forward to the edge of the stage, looking out across the tables of the restaurant. "But for this one, I'm gonna need an assistant."

Down in the audience, Apollo shot a wary glance across the rest of his table. While Luke, like a good section of the crowd, was throwing his free hand into the air excitedly, Phoenix was merely leaning back in his chair with crossed arms, a wide grin on his face. Lauren was somewhere between the other two, enjoying herself but only half-heartedly holding up one hand to offer herself as an assistant. Apollo kept his attention on Phoenix, remembering the sly hinting the man had dropped before the show started. _(It better turn out to just be him screwing around. He does a lot more of that than I thought.)_

Up on stage, Apollo heard the approaching thumps of Trucy's boots on the wood, and looked up to see her walking their way, eyes slightly narrowed as she studied the audience below her. In her hands, she was still idly shuffling her deck of cards. "Let's see..." A few steps more, and her eyes finally landed on their table, the girl pausing where she stood.

Phoenix cleared his throat, and Apollo glanced the man's way long enough to see a finger pointing directly at him. A moment later, Phoenix was already looking elsewhere, merely rubbing his nose innocently.

Apollo narrowed his eyes at the man.

"Aha!" Trucy jumped forward, feet balanced on the very edge of the stage. Her deck of cards had seemingly vanished, her right hand held out towards the left-most chair of the table below... exactly where Apollo was sitting. "You'll do!"

Apollo raised an eyebrow. _('You'll do'? Really?)_

A finger poked Apollo's arm, and he turned to see Phoenix grinning at him. "Well?" the man whispered. "Go on, then."

Although Apollo wanted very much to scoff and wave Trucy off... a part of him couldn't help but worry what doing so might mean for his future. He'd already turned down Phoenix's questions about _that place_. Would denying the former lawyer's clear desire to put Apollo on stage with Trucy prompt him to call off the adoption? Although his more rational side chided him for even thinking that, Apollo decided not to risk it. Reluctantly, he got to his feet.

"Yay! Everyone welcome today's lovely assistant to the stage!"

Apollo blushed as he heard the subsequent clapping, ascending the stairs at the side of the stage and entering the harsh brightness of the lights trained there. He'd never much been a fan of performing, so he wasn't sure what to think about being the centre of attention like this. He chanced a glance at the audience, but it was nearly impossible to make anything out in the darkness beyond the stage lights. Maybe that was why Trucy had been squinting so hard to find their table and pick him out the way she did. _(Speaking of...)_

Trucy bounced over to meet Apollo with a hand held out to guide him. "This way, please." She waved Apollo through towards the small table centrestage. "What's your name?"

 _(You know full well what my name is!)_ "Um, Apollo."

"Nice to meet you, Apollo!" Arriving at the table, Trucy stood opposite the teen, then thrust out a hand, showing him the deck of cards. "Now, how good are you at shuffling cards?"

Apollo thought a few moments, then shrugged. "Okay, I guess? I've not really done it much."

Trucy giggled, still holding out the deck. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Go ahead and try!"

Apollo grimaced, but took the cards anyway. Feeling incredibly awkward despite all his efforts to pretend the audience wasn't there, he separated the deck roughly in two and rubbed the two new decks together to merge them back into one. His efforts worked for most of the second deck, though the last few cards were reluctant to do what he willed, stuck against the edges of the larger deck and refusing to merge.

Trucy raised an eyebrow. "Wow. You weren't kidding. Not too good at that, are you?"

The audience tittered. Apollo tried not to turn red, shoving the last few cards into the middle of the deck and trying again. This time, he held the split deck looser in his hands, which made his job slightly easier but still left a few stragglers that he similarly gave up on.

Mercifully, Trucy decided to cut his attempts off with a quick, "I think that's enough." She took back the deck and held it face-down in her hand, showing it off to the audience. "So, a perfectly ordinary deck of cards, which Apollo here has shuffled for us." She reached out and plucked the top card, showing it off just as she had the deck. "And our top card? Apollo?"

Arms crossed, Apollo glanced at the card in her hand. "Um, it's a two of diamonds."

"Ah, diamonds are my favourite suit!" Trucy giggled, then placed the card back on the deck. "Okay, so lets put our two of diamonds out of the way for a moment..." Sliding the card off the top, Trucy shoved it randomly into the middle of the deck. "Completely inaccessible, right? We'd have to take apart the deck to find our poor two of diamonds again. Or..." She gave the audience a wink. " _Do_ we?" Trucy waved a hand over the pile of cards, then clicked her fingers and brandished the deck at her volunteer. "Okay Apollo, why don't you show us the card on the top of the deck?"

Apollo raised an eyebrow, but decided to do as she asked and plucked the top card from the pile. A second later, he heard the gasps from the audience beyond the lights, and saw Trucy's delighted grin. Only then did he belatedly think to look at the card in his hands.

The two of diamonds.

Apollo could only stare, frowning at the card. "How...?"

Trucy grinned as she snatched the card back to return to the deck. "Magic!"

Apollo shot her a glare, then returned his focus to the cards. _(How did she do that? There must be some kind of trick I'm missing...)_

"Hope you don't mind, but I'd better shuffle them this time," Trucy said, effortlessly shuffling the deck in her hands. "No offence, but we'd be here all night if you did it."

Ignoring the titters of the audience, Apollo kept his eyes on the cards and mumbled, "Whatever..."

"But _you_ can do this one!" Trucy shoved the newly-shuffled deck back into Apollo's hands with a bright smile. "Here. Keep the cards facing me, and fan them out top to bottom, okay?"

Apollo raised an eyebrow, but decided to humour the girl, fanning out the cards in sections.

"Stop!" Trucy reached forward and tapped one of the fanned cards. "That one! Take that card out of the deck and put it face down on the table." She tapped the empty area at the front of the nearby table, the small section where her pile of props didn't encroach.

Sighing, Apollo did as the girl asked.

"Okay, now you're going to tell the audience what the card I chose was," Trucy told him, all business as she instructed him. "Pick a random number, then count off that many cards into a new pile on the table."

Apollo thought a moment. _(A number... Well, I'm about to join a family of_ four _, aren't I? That's as good a number as any.)_ A small smile on his lips, he took the cards off the top of the deck one at a time, counting, "One, two, three, four."

"Only four?" Trucy seemed surprised, but shrugged her own reaction off. "Okay, you're done with the rest of the deck, so you can just put that to the side or something. With your new pile, I want you to deal those into two new piles, alternating cards between them."

Apollo did as she instructed, putting the large deck to one side and dealing his four cards into twin piles of two each. "What's next?"

Trucy grinned. "Now you're going to show everyone what card I picked! If you've been concentrating hard enough, you'll have just picked out the answer right here!" She pointed to the piles. "The card on top of _this_ pile will show us my card's suit, while the card on top of _this_ pile will tell us its number!"

Apollo raised an eyebrow, highly doubting that. Regardless, he reached for the nearest pile to pluck off the top card and read its front. "Nine of Clubs. So, nine." He then repeated the action for the other pile. "Jack of Spades. So..." He gave Trucy a questioning look. "Nine of Spades?"

Trucy visibly restrained a giggle, pointing to the lone card still on the table. "Go look."

Apollo looked between her and the card for a moment, wary of actually following her instructions. She hadn't touched the cards, after all, except to pick out one. How could she have manipulated anything to ensure he picked out the right cards? Biting his lip, he grabbed the lone card and held it up for both himself and the audience to see.

The nine of spades.

The crowds hidden behind the glare of the lights gasped and cheered, leaving Apollo staring at the card in bafflement. _(How did she do that!? She didn't touch the cards!)_ He looked between the final card and the various piles still on the table with a frown, hoping to find some evidence of the trick, but found nothing that served as a clue of any kind.

"Well done, Apollo!" Trucy clapped, giving him a proud smile. "You're pretty good! If you were better at shuffling cards, you might even match _my_ skills!"

Apollo couldn't help blushing at the praise, as undeserved as he felt it was. He quietly returned the card to the table.

"Everyone congratulate Apollo on doing such a good job!" Trucy clapped harder to prompt the audience, then turned to Apollo and gestured out towards the crowd, a clear signal it was time for him to go. Keeping her voice silent, the girl mouthed 'you were great' to the teen.

Apollo gave Trucy a grateful smile. With the applause of the crowd behind him, he was almost sad to turn around and leave the stage.

 

* * *

 

_Dear Professor Layton,_

_To be honest, Mr. Wright appearing out of nowhere and asking to adopt me was a big shock to me as well. It's clear this investigation into what happened to Mum and Dad is going to be long term, so I'm grateful everything worked out for me to stay with Mr. Wright in the meantime. The strangest thing about this adoption so far is getting used to calling him 'Nick', since we agreed it would be strange for me to call my adopted father 'Mr. Wright'. In fact, as he doesn't seem to have told you this, Mr. Wright liked Apollo so much he asked to adopt him as well! We're being processed side-by-side, and the official documents are set to be signed this week. Apollo has taken to calling Mr. Wright 'Dad', and is changing his name to 'Apollo Wright', but I'm not so sure with mine. Trucy has changed hers, even though her parents could reappear any day now to take her back, and she calls Mr. Wright 'Daddy' and is already calling me and Apollo her brothers. On the other hand, Mr. Wright is my legal guardian but not my dad, and I want Mum and Dad to be able to find me if they get out on their own. I'm leaning on the side of the latter. If anything, I wouldn't mind using 'Triton-Wright', but maybe only unofficially._

_I'm sorry, I ended up rambling a bit there. This adoption process is very much overtaking everything else right now. I hope we can get cracking on looking into what happened to Mum and Dad the moment it's over. I still haven't asked Nick about this being only the latest in a line of disappearances. I suspect we'll need to solve all of them to uncover what's really happened. A very daunting task, if I might say so, considering the police haven't gotten very far._

_Give Flora my congratulations on her new cooking expertise! It's a shame she waited to do this until after I left, as I would have loved to see her skills improve in person. It's been a while since I had a meal that wasn't mass-produced and microwaved to within an inch of its life. I suspect most if not all of what the school cafeteria serves arrives frozen. The restaurant Trucy performs in was a delightful change of pace.  
_

_Alfendi sounds very interesting! I wish I could meet him myself. Whether or not you and Flora decide to take him in, you'll at least make sure he's okay where he is, won't you? I would hate for him to end up like Apollo: He was left behind by his parents as a baby and has been shuffled between foster families ever since._

_I couldn't help solving all your puzzles myself before giving the simpler ones to Apollo. He solved them eventually, after I gave him a few hints, so I'm trying to think up more on the same level to give him. He doesn't seem too fussed, but I'm hoping that's just because he's never been weaned into them. I've included the ones I've come up with so far for you to look at too, though I'm sure they'll be no trouble for you at all, Professor!_

_Your friend and apprentice,_

_Luke Triton_

_29th September, 2019_

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/160115678834/tumblr_op672aE8yg1uwes7q)


	30. Moving Day

October 4, 4:50PM  
Dormitory  
Nanny K's Rooms

 

Apollo was glowing as he knocked on Nancy's door that afternoon. "Nanny Kay, can I use the phone?"

Nancy looked up from where she was typing at her computer on the nearby desk. "Oh, of course, dear." She pointed behind her, to where the black telephone hung on the wall. "Knock yourself out."

"Thanks!" Dashing into the room, Apollo snatched up the receiver and began to punch in the number scribbled on the scrap of paper in his hand.

It had been two weeks since Apollo last called his former foster sister, and he knew, with everything going on right now, another one was long overdue. While Luke was upstairs packing his suitcase (with Clay's occasional help), and before Lauren arrived for the final handover into Phoenix's care, Apollo decided to take his chance while he had it. A week that had begun with Luke finally shedding his shoulder restraint was about to end with the newly-adopted brothers moving in to their new home, and Apollo couldn't be more excited.

The receiver in his ear ceased ringing with a soft click. "Apollo?"

Apollo restrained a giggle. "Hey, Kerensa. And say hello to Apollo _Wright_."

"Hm? Oh! The adoption!" Kerensa laughed. "I must say, it's a shame to say goodbye to 'Justice', isn't it?"

"Eh." Apollo shrugged, despite the fact she couldn't see him. "I don't really have an attachment to it. My dad died when I was a baby. I've never known anything about either him or my mom and I never will. Why keep it?"

"I... guess that's a good point."

"Well, aside from the pun potential when I eventually become a lawyer," Apollo quickly added, spinning on his heel to lean against the wall. "But, when you think about it, 'Wright' is much more flexible with puns than 'Justice'. And I get the added family history with it, too."

Kerensa broke into loud laughter. "You and your puns! Why am I not surprised?"

Apollo scoffed, blushing. "It's not like I _like_ puns... It's just, Clay's already calling me and Luke 'the Wright brothers', so they're going to be made anyway."

"Oh really?" Kerensa was finding it hard to contain her giggling. "Got any pilots in that 'family history' you were talking about?"

"Dunno. I'd have to ask Dad." Apollo paused, a grin spreading across his face. "Hey, I didn't really get the chance to tell you much about him or Trucy last time, did I?"

Kerensa's laughter faded. "Who's Trucy?"

Apollo bit his lip to suppress a snort. "My new little sister. She's a magician. You should come see her show sometime."

There was silence at the other end of the line for a long moment. "You said last time your new dad adopted a little girl earlier this year. That was Trucy?"

Apollo nodded, only to remember Kerensa couldn't see him. "Yep. Her birth father vanished just like Luke's parents. Dad took her in, and when he heard what had happened to Luke, he extended the offer to him too."

"Yeah, you said he was friends with Luke." Kerensa hummed in thought. "And he just offered to take you in as well?"

"Mm hmm." Apollo's free hand began to fiddle with the buttons on his uniform jacket. "Luke took me along to meet him, and... I guess he just really liked me." His cheeks burned red at the memory. "I had a lot of fun talking to him about all his cases, and I s'pose Dad really took Luke's speech about not leaving his friends to heart." He snorted. "And maybe he likes the idea of having a 'fan' around to tell him how amazing he is. I definitely wasn't gonna say no when I heard the person who wanted to adopt me was _Phoenix Wright_."

There was a very long pause on the other end of the line. "Phoenix Wright? You mean... the _forging attorney_ Phoenix Wright?"

Apollo shot a glare at the receiver in his hand. "He didn't forge anything, okay? He was framed, and it's cost him his entire career. And I knew all that _before_ I met him, so no-one else has any excuse."

"Okay, okay!" Kerensa sighed. "I'm sorry. I was just... surprised to hear his name coming from you."

"S'okay. I've heard it all before." Apollo thought a moment, then grinned. "Oh yeah, and Dad didn't even become a lawyer until after I left you guys, so you didn't know it was him that inspired me to be a defence attorney myself, did you?"

"Of course we didn't know," Kerensa chuckled. "You don't remember us being surprised to hear you wanted to be a lawyer when you came to visit? And I guess this explains that 'family history' you mentioned earlier."

"You really should come and visit _us_ soon. Even if it's just you that comes. I'm sure you'd get along great with Dad and Trucy once you met them." Apollo chewed his lip for a moment or two, and, when Kerensa didn't reply, decided to keep talking. "Me and Luke are moving in today. Our new home's not far from People Park. Maybe we could meet there."

Kerensa hummed in thought. "I'd have to look up where it is... but I would feel a lot better about you suddenly being adopted if I got to meet your family. I bet Mom and Dad would, too." She seemed to come to a decision, sounding much more sure of herself as she continued, "Yeah. Call me again tomorrow, and we can arrange to meet up."

Apollo grinned, already relieved. "Great! I will!" He pushed himself off the wall and spun back around to face the bracket that housed the phone. "I'd better go check on Luke now, make sure he's ready to go when Dad gets here. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." Kerensa chuckled. "And I'll see you soon, Apollo _Wright_."

Apollo couldn't help laughing as he hung up.

 

* * *

 

With his two friends at hand to help out, it was simple enough for Luke to get his parents' suitcases, as well as his own, down three floors and outside to the front gate. He had spent the entire week musing on what exactly to leave behind and what to take, knowing he would be back at school soon enough anyway: His parents' suitcases were going, without a doubt, although it took longer for Luke to make his decisions on the amount of school work to take home, and whether to take or leave his uniforms and teddy bear (in the end, he stuffed the bear in his suitcase anyway). Apollo found the job much simpler: He'd simply never owned very much in the first place, having grown out of any clothes the Bonneys gave him and had long given away any toys (to either younger students at school, or simply to temporary foster siblings). Leaving his school work at school, all Apollo did to prepare was roll up his sleeves and slip on his bracelet.

The boys collapsed onto a bench in the courtyard, Luke's three suitcases scattered around them.

"You better not call this off at the last second, Luke," Clay mumbled in his friend's direction. "I am _not_ dragging these things back upstairs!"

Apollo scoffed, brushing some dirt off his jacket. "They weren't _that_ bad: They're on wheels, and we used the elevator. Stop being so over-dramatic."

Clay rolled his eyes and ignored him.

Luke carefully rotated his shoulders, still carrying his left arm and its cast rather gingerly. "Don't worry, I'll be happy to move these into Nick's place and leave them there. I won't need big suitcases when we come back on Monday."

Apollo nodded, shooting Clay a smirk. "And we _are_ coming back. You're not getting rid of us that easily."

Clay's cheeks flushed pink, and he avoided meeting his friends' gazes. "Y-yeah... I know that." He sighed, wrapping his arms around the pair's shoulders. "But man, it's gonna be lonely not having you guys around this weekend." He specifically looked to Apollo, eyes shining. "I've _never_ not had you around, 'Pollo... Not since before my mom died."

"Aw, bud..." Apollo patted his friend's back, resisting the urge to laugh. "It's only two days. We'll be right back here bugging you to death before you know it."

Clay just nodded, throwing his arms tightly around Apollo with a sniff.

Heels clacked on the pavement, and Luke looked up to meet them with a smile. "Miss Order!"

Clay rapidly pulled away from Apollo, wiping his eyes.

Lauren grinned as she joined the trio, leaning down to pat the nearest suitcase. "Ah, the infamous Triton suitcases." She chuckled, looking to the three boys. "All ready, you two? This is the final handover, so if you have any doubts, it's your last chance to pull out."

"No way!" Apollo grinned widely, his shout making Clay jump. "This is the chance of a lifetime! We'd have to be _crazy_ to turn this down!"

Luke laughed. "I have to agree with Apollo: Going with Nick is the best option for both of us."

Clay quickly recovered, slinging his arms around his friends' necks with a proud smile. "These two are stubborn as heck, miss. They don't back down from anything."

Lauren chuckled, a hand on the black purse slung over her shoulder. "Glad to hear it." She sidled between two of the suitcases and sat on the bench, next to Luke. "Mister Wright should be arriving soon. He told me he's taking a cab, so at least you won't be dragging these things," she patted the nearest suitcase, "across the city on public transport." She sighed, shaking her head. "I heard quite a few exaggerated horror stories from Mister Constantin about them, you wouldn't believe..."

Apollo and Luke locked eyes and giggled. Clay watched them with a vaguely confused look.

"Anyway, I'm confident all four of you will be a very happy family," Lauren continued. "It will be a shame to say goodbye to you so soon... though I suppose if I ever want to see how you're doing, I can just drop by one of Trucy's shows." She winked at the boys with a secretive smile.

"Oh yeah!" Clay elbowed Apollo, looking between his friends. "I've gotta see this magic show you two were raving about last week!"

Apollo scoffed, cheeks red. "We weren't 'raving'..."

Luke giggled. "I dunno, you seemed really focussed on figuring out how her tricks worked, Apollo..."

Blushing even harder, Apollo crossed his arms and glared at the ground.

"And you _should_ come and see Trucy's show," Luke continued, turning back to Clay. "You could even come tomorrow. It's an hour away from here, but I think it's worth the trip."

Clay frowned. "Would Mister Wright be okay with me just tagging along?"

Apollo dropped his embarrassment with a bark of laughter. "Of course he'd be okay with that. You should see how freaking proud he is of that kid's magic."

Luke nodded. "And we're proud of her too. After all, we're her older brothers now."

Apollo paused. "Oh yeah. I keep forgetting that."

Clay snorted.

"Polly! Luke!"

The four on the bench looked up to find the source of the shout: Standing on the other side of the gate, her hands clinging to the bars, was an eight-year-old girl with a bob of brown hair, wearing a yellow blouse, a checked skirt, and a massive grin. Behind her approached a man with his hands deep in the pockets of his grey hoodie, a bright cyan beanie on his head and a lazy smile on his face.

Apollo jumped to his feet. "Dad! Trucy!" He raced off towards the gate, Lauren and his friends hot on his heels.

Trucy bounced behind the bars as the boys approached, her bag thumping against her back. "Yay! We're finally going to take my new brothers home!"

Phoenix chuckled. "You talk about them like they're pets."

"Well, they get along great with Mister Charley."

Apollo rolled his eyes, but couldn't hide the smirk on his face. "We're just glad to have a home to be going to." He looked to Phoenix, cheeks flushing pink. "Thanks, Dad. Really. It means a lot to..." He glanced at Luke, seeing his new brother smiling at him, and his blush deepened. "Well, I won't speak for Luke. It means a lot to _me_."

Luke giggled. "Don't worry, I completely agree."

Phoenix scoffed, tapping the toes of a sandalled foot against the pavement. "I couldn't just leave you boys where you were. I had to do _something_."

While the boys had gone to speak to their new father, Lauren had made a beeline for the speaker-box, and the buzz of the remote lock interrupted the Wrights' conversation. She pushed open the gate, fixing Phoenix with a smile. "With any luck, this really _will_ be the last time we see each other, Mister Wright."

Phoenix held up his hands. "I can promise you, these three are it." He shoved his hands back in his pockets with a lazy smile. "For one thing, I have friends who would probably murder me if I tried adopting another one. Not that I'm planning on it, but I never planned to have kids in the first place, so." He shrugged.

Trucy made a disgusted choking sound at the back of her throat, and slapped Phoenix's side. " _Daddy_! How could you be so mean!?"

"What?" Phoenix laughed. "Just because the three of you were unplanned, doesn't mean you're un _wanted_."

Luke nodded as he slipped through the gate. "He's right. We never planned on our parents disappearing, did we? This is us making good in a bad situation."

Trucy screwed up her nose in thought, and eventually seemed to accept Luke's point. Before saying anything in reply, she became distracted by Luke himself, looking the older boy up and down with a curious frown. "You've changed. Something's different since last week."

Luke grinned and rolled his shoulders. "My collarbone's healed."

Trucy gasped. "Oh! Cool, that's awesome!" She giggled and poked the cast on his left arm. "Now you just gotta heal _this_ too!"

Apollo followed his new brother out of the school grounds, looking up and down the street. "Didn't Ms Order say you took a cab here?"

Phoenix nodded, pointing down the street behind him. "He's waiting for us back there. And speaking of, we probably shouldn't keep him waiting."

"Right!" Luke jumped to action, dashing back into the courtyard. "My suitcases are just over here!"

"I'll help!" Trucy ran after him with a laugh, her arms held out wide like an aeroplane.

Apollo rolled his eyes. Before following his new siblings, he poked Clay's arm. "Since you complained so much, you can stay here."

Clay bit his lip, looking away with slightly flushed cheeks. He waited until Apollo had run off into the courtyard to step forward, leaning against the side of the gate that was still closed. "Mister Wright?"

"Mm?" Phoenix met the teen's gaze with raised brows. "Clay, was it?"

"Yep, that's me." Clay shot him a quick grin, then dropped it for a neutral frown. "So like, Trucy has a magic show every Saturday, right?"

Phoenix nodded, a half-smile on his lips. "Seven at the Wonder Bar. Interested in coming?"

"If you don't mind?"

"Of course not." Phoenix reached into his pocket, digging around for a few moments before pulling out another of his old business cards, which he handed over to the teen. "You can meet us at the office tomorrow and we'll take you there. Aim for six thirty, call if you have any problems."

Clay studied the card for a second or two before shoving it into his pocket with a grin. "You got it. Thanks, Mister Wright!"

Phoenix laughed. "Anything for a friend of the family."

 

[View the Court Record](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/160475615729/tumblr_oponlup5K71uwes7q)


	31. Welcome Home

October 4, 6:42PM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Kitchen

 

The sun had long set by the time Phoenix, Apollo, Luke and Trucy were dragging the three Triton suitcases up the stairs and through the front door of their small home. The long trip had exhausted them enough that they didn't make any efforts to speak until, finally, they had wrested the unwieldy baggage across the carpets of the reception and office and through onto the tiled floor of the kitchen, within sight of the stairs leading to their second floor.

Phoenix sighed, leaning on the suitcase he'd been dragging. "Well... If you don't mind, Luke, let's leave them down here for the night, huh?"

Luke grinned despite his panting. "I don't mind, Nick. Although I will need my clothes and things."

Apollo shot the younger boy a smirk. "And your teddy bear, too?"

Luke blushed. "U-um..."

"Oh, you have a bear? That's so cool!" Trucy began looking between the three suitcases, as though said toy would be visibly sticking out. "Where is it?"

Phoenix laughed. "In that case, I think I can manage to drag _one_ of these upstairs tonight. Which one, Luke?"

Sheepishly, Luke patted the suitcase at his side, the only one of the three not to have something added to the handle.

"Right." Smiling through an exhausted sigh, Phoenix moved to wrest the indicated bag up the stairs.

The three kids hung back, Trucy and Apollo moving to Luke's sides as they watched their father drag the suitcase up, step by step. It was clear the man's current task was going to take a while, and none of them could pass him until it was finished.

Trucy turned to her new brothers with a big grin. "Y'know, I really _am_ glad you guys are finally home with us. I never thought I'd get a big brother... and now I have _two_!"

Apollo snorted. "Yeah, I never thought I'd ever have a little brother or sister either... and now I have _both_." He gave the pair a smirk. "I guess it's my job as the oldest to keep an eye on you two, then. Keep you safe and out of trouble."

"And our job as the younger ones to _get into_ trouble!" Trucy giggled, elbowing Luke.

Apollo rolled his eyes, though his smile didn't fade.

Luke politely shook his head. "A proper gentleman like me isn't in the business of causing trouble." He frowned, a hand on his chin. "Although, the Professor did have a habit of getting into it a lot anyway..."

Trucy frowned a moment, then gasped. "Oh, you mean this professor friend you and Daddy know?"

Apollo laughed. "Yeah, you'll have to tell Trucy about that now. I'm not sure you even finished telling me and Clay."

Luke shrugged. "We have the whole weekend. We have a whole _lifetime_ of weekends." He looked between the other two with a smile. "I'm sure you'll know everything I could tell you before too long."

Phoenix finally cleared the last step with a thud. "Okay, you three can come up now." His call was soon followed by the sounds of suitcase wheels being tugged across carpet.

By the time the trio had dashed upstairs, Phoenix was already disappearing into one of the doorways beyond. Trucy split off to head into her own room (the nearest door), backpack already sliding off her shoulders. Apollo and Luke followed their father.

This room, the boys quickly remembered, was theirs... though it had changed a little since Trucy first showed it off to them three weeks previous. The then-lone bed and dressing table had been pushed to one side, against the wall, while a newly-acquired second of each mirrored them on the opposite side. The small set of drawers was pressed up to the foot of the right bed, while the much taller rickety cupboard was on the left, against the wall next to the other bed. Between them both stood Phoenix, placing Luke's suitcase roughly in the centre where marks in the carpet indicated the bed had once lived.

"Well, welcome home, boys." Phoenix turned to the pair with a bashful smile, hands in his pockets. "It's not much, making you share the one room... but I hope you can learn to live with it."

Apollo couldn't help a wide grin as he looked around the room. "I love it."

Luke laughed. "I've never shared a room with anyone on a permanent basis before, but I think we'll be okay."

Apollo snorted, turning to the younger boy. "Oh, I'm sure we'll be getting on each other's nerves before too long. Just like _real_ brothers."

Phoenix chuckled. "As long as you keep that to school, where you _do_ have separate rooms."

"I'd hope we could manage to get along much better than that," Luke muttered.

Laughing, Apollo ran past Phoenix and threw himself face-first onto the newer bed, the one on the left, his arms scrabbling to hug the pillow. "I claim this one!"

Luke shrugged. "Okay." He moved over to the bed on the right, resting his hand on the sheets with a small smile. "That makes this one mine, then."

Apollo scoffed, dumping the pillow as he sat up on his knees. "You're not very good at this 'getting on my nerves' thing, Luke. What kind of little brother are you?"

"The kind that's a friend." Luke turned to give Apollo a smile. "I've never had a brother or sister before, so I'll have to learn this as we go, but I see no reason why it means we have to fight."

Apollo brushed off the comment with a shrug, turning his focus to swinging his legs off the bed's edge.

Phoenix chuckled. "Well, _I_ hope you two can keep getting along. For my own sanity, if nothing else." Ignoring the boys' giggles, he patted the suitcase at his side. "I'll leave this here for you to unpack, Luke." He turned, intending to leave the room, only to jump as he found his path blocked by an eight-year-old in the doorway, peering up at him with a plaintive look.

"Daddy, I'm hungry!"

Phoenix sighed, stepping forward to ruffle the girl's hair. "You're always hungry, Trucy. But, admittedly, it is time to eat."

Trucy grinned.

"Oh, good!" Luke dashed across the room to join them. "I'm starved!"

Apollo snorted as he got to his feet. " _You're_ always hungry, too."

Phoenix laughed, slipping past Trucy into the hallway, though he kept his eyes on the two younger kids. "Well, Hungry and Starved, let's see what we can find, huh?"

 

After a lot of digging around in the fridge (a surprisingly empty one at that, Apollo thought), Phoenix pulled out something in a plastic container, pulling it from a cardboard sleeve before shoving it in the microwave. Luke ruefully sighed, then spun on his heel and dropped into the nearest chair at the table. It was only a small table, built for four at most, a squat rectangle with two chairs each on opposite sides; Luke had chanced into one of the two with their backs to the kitchen, on the right when viewed from the stairs.

Apollo raised an eyebrow at the younger boy, then grabbed a chair at random - the one diagonally placed to Luke's - and slipped into the seat. With Phoenix focussed on the noisy tasks of getting out plates and cutlery in the kitchen over the buzzing of the microwave, it was clear to Apollo that the issue with Luke was his alone to solve. "You okay?"

Luke jumped at being addressed, and was quick to give his brother a smile. "I'm fine."

Trucy huffed, climbing into the chair on Apollo's right and directly facing Luke's. "You can't lie to us, remember? We can _tell_." She looked up at Apollo with a grin. "Right, Polly?"

Apollo smiled. _(Funny, I don't even mind her calling me that any more...)_ "Yep." He turned a smirk across the table. "Not that we needed any kind of special ability to see through _that_ one."

Luke blushed, staring at the table. "It's... nothing. Really."

Apollo and Trucy both raised an eyebrow, and turned their heads to exchange doubtful looks with each other.

Sighing, Luke sprawled his right arm across the table in front of him, leaning so low over it he was nearly burying his face in the shirt fabric. "I just... It's a terrible thing to say, and I'm grateful to be eating at all... but I hoped we wouldn't have something out of a microwave."

Apollo was a little surprised, and unsure how exactly to react at first. The best he managed was a blunt "Oh."

Trucy scrunched up her nose, frowning at the boy across from her. "Why? It's just _food_." She then gasped. "Oh! Did you mean you wanted to eat it cold? We could still do that!"

Luke shook his head. "No, I definitely prefer warm food to cold." He bit his lip. "It's just, I've been eating almost nothing _but_ microwaved meals ever since I moved here. I can't help but miss _real_ food."

Trucy cocked her head to one side. "What do you mean?"

Apollo nodded, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, all a microwave does is heat it up."

"Yes, I know," Luke muttered, curling the fingers of his hand on the table. "It's more... How do I put this?" He chewed his lower lip, humming softly. "I guess it's... If the food needs to be heated up... it's not _fresh_. It never tastes as good."

"Huh." Apollo frowned. "That's a good point."

Trucy simply looked baffled. "It does?"

Apollo turned a searching gaze on Luke. "Did you regularly have freshly made food in England?" _(Because if so, chalk that up as something else we share...)_

Luke nodded, blushing as he stared at the table. "My family was... very well off. We had a butler who used to cook for us, and Mum liked making things when she had time... and there were always nice restaurants or little cafes in the places we went to. Those places always make things to order, or at least never keep things longer than a day."

Apollo couldn't help staring in shock for a moment. "You were a rich kid?" _(Okay, that's very much a thing we_ don't _share.)_

Luke's face turned even redder, fingers tapping the table-top nervously.

"And dinner is ready." Phoenix's arrival at the table was sudden enough to make the two boys jump. He merely shot them a grin as he slid the two plates in his hands into the spaces in front of Trucy and Luke. "Be careful, it's hot." He then turned and disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Ooh, goody!" Trucy grabbed the fork off her plate and immediately dug in to the pot pie sizzling next to it. No sooner had she put the first bite in her mouth than she was dropping the fork again, hands covering her hanging jaw. "'S _hoooooot_!"

Apollo rolled his eyes. "Dad _literally_ just told you that."

Trucy shot him a glare over her fingers.

Luke hid a giggle, busy using his own fork to cut his slice of pie into smaller pieces. "I know it's hard when you're hungry, but you have to wait for it to cool a bit. Cutting it up helps."

Apollo nodded, pointing at Trucy's plate. "And try the middle first. It might be cooler there."

Trucy considered the advice deeply, staring at her food.

Phoenix returned, sliding one plate in front of Apollo and another in front of the empty chair next to Luke, a chair he was quick to slide into. He gave Trucy a sympathetic smile. "I did warn you."

By now, the food already in the girl's mouth seemed to have cooled enough she was able to close it, finally freeing up her hands. "Mmm..." She busied herself copying Luke, slicing the rest of her pie into smaller pieces.

Apollo hid a smile and focussed on doing the same to his own slice. It was only his first night as a Wright, but it already felt like they were a real _family_.

Luke thought a moment, then turned to Phoenix. "Do you still bake?"

Apollo and Trucy looked up with wide eyes, both crying as one "What!?"

Phoenix blushed, staring at his plate with a wince. "Uh, no? Why?"

Luke deflated, turning back to his food in disappointment. "I just thought, you and Maya know how. And freshly baked bread is one of the best things in the world." He shot Phoenix a grin. "It must be _wonderful_ to be able to make it yourself whenever you want!"

Phoenix shook his head, hiding a smile. "Ah, thinking with your stomach I see. Why am I not surprised?"

Apollo couldn't help a snort of laughter. "You can _bake_ , Dad?"

"Not really," Phoenix sighed. "I worked in a bakery - for a couple of days, tops - nearly a year ago now. I didn't really know what I was doing the entire time, so I've got little hope of reproducing that..." He frowned. "But I wouldn't be surprised if Maya _has_ figured it out, for exactly the reasons you just gave me, Luke."

Trucy leaned her elbows on the table with a mischievous grin, her hands cupping her chin. "Your friend-who-is-a-girl, Maya? You mean her, Daddy?"

Phoenix frowned at the girl for a long moment. Finally, he pressed a hand to his face, muttering "You're gonna be a nightmare when you meet Pearls..." Before any of the three children could react, he had replaced his hand on the table and was giving Trucy a wry look. "Yes, my friend Maya who is also a girl." He turned to Luke. "I'll ask her when she next calls. I can't help but imagine her trying to found her own burger restaurant up there or something. She has about as much experience _waitressing_ as she does baking..."

Luke giggled. "Waitressing?"

Phoenix shook his head. "A long story." He turned to Apollo and Trucy, raising an eyebrow. "Just like the story of what I was doing being a baker. It would take too long to explain, especially tonight."

Apollo shrugged. "Fine by me." He had to admit, he was looking forward to just getting to bed.

Trucy huffed in disappointment, and focussed her attention back on her pie.

"We can tell that story another time," Luke assured them. "All the adventures the Professor and I had together take a long time to explain... but I think they're worth the wait." With that, he dug into his pie with a big grin.

Phoenix smiled. "Sounds like some of my trials."

 

[View the Court Record](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/160511960684/tumblr_opqjezMU6m1uwes7q)


	32. First Night

October 4, 9:28PM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Apollo and Luke's Room

 

Apollo had no idea what time it was, but it felt very late.

Once dinner was done, Phoenix had been quick to hurry Trucy back upstairs, noting it was already past her usual bedtime. She had protested, but ultimately went along with him. Luke and Apollo were far more agreeable, wanting to get to bed themselves after the landmark day of having moved into their new home. Once they'd all showered, Phoenix poked his head in the doorway of the boys' new room.

"You two okay in here?"

Luke nodded, though didn't look up from the book in his lap. He was sitting under the covers of the older bed, dressed in his striped pyjamas and cuddling his teddy in the crook of his broken arm. Still keeping his eyes on the book, he reached out with the other arm, blindly searching for the switch to the bedside lamp before turning it on with a click.

Apollo, unlike Luke, lacked any pyjamas. At school, he normally just wore his uniform from the bathroom back to his bedroom, then stripped to his undies to sleep. Without anything else to wear, he hadn't had any other choice, unless he wanted to wrinkle everything and be told off by the teachers. It was a miracle he had any underwear left from the last time Nancy pitied him enough to get him some, and he hated having to bother her for something so vital. Regardless, he usually kept up the school routine when staying with a new foster family if he had the privacy to do it, but in situations like today's where he was sharing a room... Well, he always felt awkward taking off the uniform in front of someone else, so he simply kept on the white shirt and black pants and prayed internally neither would wrinkle too bad before he returned to school. Having borrowed a book to read from Luke, he was now sitting cross-legged on top of his new bed covers. "We're good, Dad." Marking his place with a thumb, he shifted to turn on his own bedside lamp.

Phoenix frowned, stepping into the room. "Apollo, are you still in your uniform?"

Apollo blushed, eyes still on the switch of his lamp.

"He doesn't have anything else to wear." Finally, Luke looked up from his book to give Phoenix a smile. "I'm the only one who brought stuff here from school, Nick."

Phoenix opened his mouth to argue, only to close it again with a puzzled look.

Apollo just felt even worse. He didn't want to make a big deal of owning so little. Sure, he'd boasted of its advantages to his friends, but to have the problems of owning nothing pointed out so clearly was just mortifying, especially when it was to _Phoenix Wright_.

Phoenix hummed in thought, rubbing his chin. "Hold on a moment." He turned and left the room.

Luke returned to his book. "Don't worry, Apollo. It's Nick's job to look after us now."

Apollo just groaned. Holding Luke's book tight in one hand, he shuffled himself under the covers. _(Whatever you do, don't panic about whatever reason Dad's gone off for...)_

The door opened again, and Phoenix entered carrying a white t-shirt. "It's definitely a bit big for you, but it's better than nothing. It's clean, at least." He walked up to Apollo's bedside and held it out with a smile. "Better my big clothes than Luke's small ones, huh?"

Apollo blinked, staring at the shirt in surprise. Hesitantly, he reached out and took it. "Th-thank you."

Phoenix nodded, shoving his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. "My pants have no hope of fitting you, so just keep yours on if you need to."

Luke looked up from his book with a confused frown.

"It's fine." Apollo was still a little stunned, but offered his father a smile. "Thanks, Dad."

Phoenix chuckled, then turned and headed back towards the door. "It'll do for tonight. We can't have you with nothing but a uniform to wear, so I guess that makes our first task tomorrow an obvious one."

Apollo and Luke shared a confused look. "What's that?" Luke asked.

"Clothes shopping." Phoenix spun around to shoot the pair a grin. "I know a good thrift shop not too far away. They always have plenty of clothes, so there should be something there that fits you, Apollo." He paused, frowning. "Well, they don't have socks or underwear, but those are cheap and easy enough to get in a _proper_ shop." He snorted. " _That's_ not too far away, either."

Again, Apollo was stunned at Phoenix's generosity... even if it was remarkably thrifty generosity (but he wasn't going to hold that against Phoenix, knowing how he had spoken of stretching finances to accommodate them). "Sure... Thanks, Dad." He shot Phoenix a return grin.

Phoenix laughed, then headed for the door. "I'll leave the light on so you can change. See you both tomorrow. Good night."

"Night, Dad!"

"Good night, Nick."

The door closed behind Phoenix with a gentle click.

 

* * *

 

"Are you awake?"

Apollo pried his eyes open. It had been a while since he'd changed and the boys got into bed... though he had no idea exactly how long. The lights were all off, but there was enough filtering in from outside that he could make out the rough outlines of everything in the room. It helped he was already lying on his side, his back to the wall, so he had a good view of the room without having to move. "Yeah. Having trouble getting to sleep?"

Luke shifted in his bed, making the mattress squeak. "I'm always a little sleepless in a new place... and I don't know if it's just America, but it's been harder to get to sleep since the move here."

Apollo frowned. "Since the car accident, you mean?"

There was a very long silence.

Suddenly, Apollo realised what he had just accidentally implied, and felt his face heating up. The absolute last thing he needed to do right now was bring up _Luke's missing parents_. "I-I mean, it _would_ be hard to get comfortable with that cast on your arm... and then add that to a new place, it's gonna take a while to actually sleep, no matter how tired you are." _(Stop talking, stop talking, stop talking! You've already embarrassed yourself enough, Apollo!)_

There was a short pause. "That's true."

Apollo sighed in relief. He was way too sleepy to be trusted not to put his foot in his mouth. Curling a hand in the loose fabric of Phoenix's shirt, he closed his eyes and hoped that was the end of it.

"There's a lot to get used to, moving across the world."

 _(Of course he's not done...)_ Apollo reluctantly tore his eyelids apart. "Yeah, there is."

"Though I guess you wouldn't really know, living here your whole life."

It was said in such a polite tone, so Apollo knew Luke meant nothing by it... but the implications stung deep in Apollo's heart. Ever since he met Luke, he'd been racking up an internal list of all the things they shared, and it was only now hitting him that he'd never told Luke a single thing on it. He never _could_ tell Luke, because to tell him would be to admit he spent the first eight years of his life on the other side of the planet, with a family who didn't love him, who had gone to the trouble of sending him so far away simply because they didn't want him anymore. It may have been another seven years since then, but the pain still felt as fresh as the wild meat they used to roast on the grill, and the fruit they would eat right off the trees (Luke had made a good point at dinner, about fresh food tasting so much better). Tears burned in his eyes at the memories, so Apollo pressed his face into the pillow to hide them.

"'Pants' means 'trousers' here, right?"

The question was so out of left field, Apollo couldn't help laughing, lifting his head from the pillow. "What?"

"Just... something Nick said before." Luke shifted a little under his blankets. "About his pants not fitting you? He didn't mean 'pants' as in underwear, right?"

"No?" Apollo's laughter was only growing stronger, enough that he had to fight to stifle it. "If Dad had offered me his _undies_ , I wouldn't've taken 'em in a million years! Not even from _him_!"

There was a short pause. "Okay. So you guys call pants 'undies' and trousers 'pants'. I'll keep that in mind."

Apollo felt a fresh burst of giggles coming on, and pressed a hand to his mouth to muffle them as best he could.

"It's not that funny, Apollo."

"I _know_ , I know..." Apollo's chest was beginning to ache from the repressed laughter, so he pressed his face into the pillow again and tried his best to wait it out.

There was a short pause. "I mean, that actually makes a lot of sense. The full word is 'underpants'; We shortened it to 'pants', and you to 'undies'... and while we called what we wore on top 'trousers', you used 'pants', as in the things the _under_ pants are underneath. It's one of those obvious etymologies."

As the fit of giggles passed, Apollo reflected on how proud Luke sounded to have figured out his personal riddle. He doubted even Luke expected to find himself discussing _underwear_ tonight, but apparently Apollo was sleepy enough to find something as childish as that supremely funny anyway. "Sorry for laughing."

"It's okay. I guess we both need our sleep." Luke shifted, making his mattress squeak. "I'll be quiet now. Good night, Apollo."

Apollo smiled, returning to a comfortable position now he wasn't fighting tears, of _any_ emotion. "Night, Luke."

It was surprisingly easy for both of them to fall asleep after that.

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/160547278674/tumblr_opse7y50ie1uwes7q)


	33. First Day

October 5, 9:12AM  
Maple Street

 

"Do you have a favourite colour, Apollo?"

Apollo considered the question carefully. It was a quiet Saturday morning, and while Trucy was sitting Luke down in front of the TV to show him her favourite cartoons, Phoenix was taking Apollo out to get him some new clothes. Normally, he hated the idea of clothes shopping, but after the incident last night, Apollo was prepared to endure it for his father's sake. "I, um... I like red, actually. Not that pink-red Trucy wears on stage, but... Bold red has always appealed to me."

Phoenix chuckled. "Ah, bold red... It clearly suits you, given how often I've seen you turn that colour."

Apollo blushed crimson, and Phoenix laughed harder.

Around the corner from the Agency and across the road, the pair found a small building nestled between two larger ones. The sliding glass door that acted as its entrance was left half-open, thanks to the employee stood just outside arranging a display of greeting cards. Above, a brightly coloured sign advertised 'Charity's Shop of Rarities: Everything's One-of-a-Kind!'.

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "Somehow I doubt that."

Phoenix grinned. "Why don't you come in and see?"

Inside, it was dark, aisles lined with tall shelves that were stacked high with objects of every kind, almost every one unique. Along the walls were a series of boxes, full of books, old VHS tapes, records, video game cartridges, and even a handful of DVDs. A counter hunched to one side with another employee stood behind it, making small notes on a piece of paper. She shot the Wrights a smile. "Good morning!"

Phoenix tensed up so subtly at the attention directed their way, Apollo almost didn't notice at first. The man waved, called back to the clerk, "Morning," then patted Apollo's shoulder and headed on into the shop. "C'mon, clothes are this way." The instant the woman was out of sight, Phoenix relaxed, giving the beanie on his head a firm tug.

Apollo stuck close behind his father as they weaved through the aisles, until they came to a slightly more open area in a back corner. Instead of shelves, here there were a series of racks, all stuffed with various different sizes and styles of shirts, coats, skirts, and pants. In the corner, a section of wall jutted out, and a curtain hid the interior of the resulting box, hanging loosely from a crooked rail.

Phoenix moved to a rack full of pants, paging through the thin wire coathangers hanging on the railing. "Let's look for stuff that fits you first. With any luck, it'll be something you like."

Apollo moved to another of the racks, one that seemed split between shirts and coats. The mass of fabrics stretched out before him in a multi-coloured array, each one indistinguishable from the next... until his eyes were caught by a bright red. Picking through the tightly-packed hangers above, Apollo found the one he was looking for and unhooked it from the rail, giving it a sharp tug to pull the item free of its prison. To his surprise, Apollo found himself holding a red hooded jacket, with twin rows of buttons down the front and long sleeves that looked designed for rolling up. On a whim, he pressed the hoodie against his front, and judged it was very likely to fit him. _(Well, only one way to find out for sure...)_ Casting a glance behind him to check Phoenix was still busy, Apollo stripped the hanger of its treasure, holding the wire between his teeth for a lack of anywhere else to put it. The jacket he slipped over his school shirt, pausing to arrange the hood at the back and to straighten his shirt sleeves when the rolled ends crumpled up around his shoulders. He tugged at the bottom, judging the jacket to end quite comfortably at his hips, and giving his arms a shake showed the sleeves reached his wrists with plenty of room for his bracelet on the left. _(Definitely would feel better with a different shirt... but it fits.)_ Grinning around the coathanger, he tried rolling up the sleeves, getting them close to his elbows before reaching underneath to unroll the shirt sleeves enough that they were slightly longer, making the jacket much more comfortable to wear. He removed the hanger from his mouth, looking down to admire the rows of four crimson red buttons on either side of the white stripe of shirt down the middle. _(It's... It's perfect. If only I could see how it looks.)_

"There's a mirror back there."

Apollo jumped, spinning around. Phoenix had paused in his perusal of the other rack, watching the teen with a smile. Apollo tried not to blush. "A m-mirror?"

Phoenix nodded, then jerked his head down the aisle behind Apollo. "Just over there. That jacket looks good on you, by the way."

This time, Apollo _did_ blush. Clutching the coathanger tight, he hurried to go find the mirror.

Around the corner, near the cul-de-sac masquerading as a changing room, Apollo located a dirty old mirror tucked behind a box of shoes against the wall. Although it was a little cracked, it was still usable, so Apollo planted himself in front of it to get a good look at his new jacket. Just as he'd hoped, it looked to fit him perfectly.

_(Maybe... I should button it up though. Just to check.)_

On closer inspection, the rows of buttons on either side were all eight already in use, holding a flap of extra fabric that folded over from inside the garment. _(Huh, that's odd.)_ Apollo placed the coathanger carefully on the floor, then moved to unbutton them all, finding himself with extensions of fabric either side that hung oddly. _(I see why they were buttoned back. Is it even possible to connect the two sides together, then?)_ He tried moving the two flaps around, but quickly worked out that, outside of ripping one of them off, it was impossible to button both simultaneously onto their opposite sides. _(Well, that didn't work. Although...)_ Frowning, he decided to try anyway: While one flap was pressed inside the jacket, against his shirt, the other flap was unfolded and buttoned into the opposite side, pulling the jacket firmly closed around Apollo's torso. To his relief, the flap inside wasn't really noticeable against his chest, and the jacket itself still hung loosely enough to not feel uncomfortable at all. He grinned, admiring his handiwork in the mirror. _(Still fits. Still looks good, too.)_ He ran a hand over his spikes to briefly flatten them, then tugged the hood up over his head, just to check it also fit fine. Although it hung loosely, Apollo didn't mind: He was already in love with the garment.

Phoenix rounded the corner, holding in his hand a stack of coathangers with varying sizes and types of pants hanging off them. "You getting it, then?"

Apollo spun around to face him with a hopeful look, brushing back the hood. "Can I?"

Phoenix chuckled. "It fits, doesn't it? And we're coming up to winter, so you do _need_ some kind of sweater or jacket." He shot the teen a smirk. "Would that one do?"

"Yes!" Apollo nearly jumped with a cheer before pulling himself back under control, clearing his throat with a nonchalant air. "I mean, um, yeah. This one's fine, Dad."

Snorting, Phoenix decided not to comment. "Better get that thing off then, and we'll add it to the pile." He held out the stack of pants. "Duck into the changing room and see which ones of these fit you, huh?"

Apollo blushed and nodded, retrieving the coathanger with one hand while the other began unbuttoning the beloved jacket.

 

All in all, Apollo thought their trip was very productive, getting him three or four each of shirts and pants, as well as a small, brown leather backpack and a nice pair of shoes that matched his new jacket. He couldn't help grinning as they carried their finds back to the counter, disappointed only that he couldn't wear any of them until after they returned home... with the exception of the backpack, but there was little point putting it on while it was empty of anything inside. They had only grabbed it when it occurred to Phoenix Apollo's 'no belongings' included no school bag. Apollo had almost turned as red as his new jacket as he explained he just carried everything he owned in his arms or in a spare plastic bag when travelling between foster homes and school. Luckily, Phoenix wasted no time on making it worse by pitying the teen, instead giving Apollo a smile, saying "Well, you won't have to do _that_ anymore," and quickly moving on.

They both spread their finds across the counter for the cashier to process. Phoenix shot his son a smirk as he pulled out the cash to pay for their haul. "Hopefully these will last you until at least next summer, huh?"

Apollo blushed. " _Daaad_..."

The cashier chuckled. "Ah, kids. No sooner have you found them clothes, they've grown out of them already."

Phoenix laughed; Again, Apollo couldn't help noticing the subtle tenseness in the man's posture as they spoke to the woman across the counter. "The eternal perils of parenthood! At least his younger siblings have the option of hand-me-downs."

"Mm-hm, that they do." The cashier turned to Apollo, looking him up and down. "And how old are you, young man?"

Apollo scratched his head, wondering how his age was relevant. "Fifteen?"

"Ah, right in the middle of the final growth spurt! Just a few more years and a few more inches to go, then." Smiling, the cashier stuffed their purchases into a large paper bag and handed it off to Phoenix. "Enjoy your day!"

"You too." Phoenix gave the cashier a friendly wave, then gestured for Apollo to follow him.

The teen didn't waste any time, shouting "Thanks!" to the cashier before running after his father into the sunlight outside. He caught up on the pavement alongside the road, and quickly grabbed the bag for himself. "These are mine."

Phoenix grinned as he handed it over, relaxing again now they were out of the shop. "Oh, are they? _I_ paid for them."

Apollo shot the man a glare, hugging the bag tight. "They don't even fit you."

"Really?" Phoenix made a grab for the handles. "Better go return 'em, then."

" _Daad_!" Apollo jumped back, failing to hide a small giggle as he held the bag out of his father's lazy reach. "They're mine!"

Phoenix shoved his hands in his pockets, still grinning. "Alright, if you insist."

Apollo couldn't help a smile of his own as he jogged back to Phoenix's side, an undeniable spring in his step as he possessively clutched his new wardrobe tight to his chest.

"We'll get you home so you can change, and head out again later to get underwear and socks. Sound good?"

"Sounds great, Dad."

_(For a first day as a Wright... this isn't bad at all.)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apollo's new jacket (and also his new bag and shoes) blatantly taken from the "Stylin' Street Clothes" DLC outfit available for him in Dual Destinies.


	34. A New Look

October 5, 9:48AM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Kitchen

 

It was the second time that morning that Phoenix and Apollo were returning to the apartment, though only the first time they were doing so through the back door. Apollo felt very accomplished, with not only the small plastic bag in his hand containing new socks and underwear, but the other new (sort of) clothes he was now wearing. On top of that, he had an updated mental map for the locations of the thrift shop to the left of their front door, and the small shopping centre a couple of blocks straight ahead from their back door, the exact opposite direction of People Park. Luke and Trucy had been so wrapped up in the TV, and Apollo so eager to head back out with Phoenix, that the eldest Wright child hadn't yet had a chance to show off his new outfit to his siblings.

Phoenix stepped around the two large suitcases still waiting to go upstairs, and jerked a thumb in the direction of the office door. "Sounds like they're still watching cartoons in there."

Apollo snorted, following his father into what passed for their dining room. "I'm surprised Luke's agreed to humour Trucy this long."

"He's probably enjoying them." Phoenix paused, then, on a whim, he reached up and ruffled Apollo's hair.

"Hey!" Apollo ducked away, moving to protect his spikes. "Watch the hair, Dad!"

Phoenix laughed. "Yes, I know, you just styled it this morning. For twenty minutes. Right as the rest of us were all trying to use the bathroom."

Apollo ignored him, blushing bright crimson as he pulled up his spikes.

"Where the hair gel came from, I have no idea." Phoenix raised an eyebrow. "Did you smuggle it in?"

"S-sort of..." Apollo decided not to mention he had a small collection of 'free samples' for emergencies, two of which he'd shoved in a pocket before leaving school... and Clay had bought him big bottles of hair gel for his last three birthdays, enough to last an entire year if he rationed it well enough. It was just a shame his current bottle had been too big to put in a pocket, forcing Apollo to leave it back in his room at Turner's.

Phoenix thought a moment, then shrugged. "As long as I know what's going on. I don't mind you using it, I just want to be in the loop." He frowned. "Plus, I don't want to find out Maya hid some in the cupboards before she left, just to mock me."

Apollo couldn't help a laugh. The more he heard about her, the more he was liking this 'Maya'. "No, not that I saw. I have my own."

"Good." Phoenix promptly turned and headed off into the kitchen.

Giggling, Apollo turned and dashed up the stairs, the plastic bag of socks and underwear bouncing at his side.

 

Apollo only briefed stopped by the bedroom he shared with Luke. His new younger brother had spent a long time that morning (and the previous evening) moving his clothes from his luggage to the drawers at the end of his bed, and the suitcase still sat nearby, now only holding Luke's various other belongings. On the opposite side of the room, the rickety closet now housed all of Apollo's clothes (as small a collection as that was), including his school uniform. He grinned as he pulled open the door and tossed his plastic bag inside, letting it fall to the bottom. There wasn't any way to hang up these last additions to his wardrobe, so he was happy to just pile them underneath, next to the paper bag left over from their trip to the thrift store. The small backpack from the earlier trip had been left on his bed for now, waiting for a more permanent home until he took it back to school with him on Monday.

_(Right. Time to go show Luke and Trucy my new look.)_

He slapped the closet doors closed with a grin, and promptly ran back downstairs.

Apollo found his siblings in much the same place he'd left them: Sprawled across the black leather sofa in the office, eyes on the TV in the corner. The morning block of children's animation had yet to end, and both children were fascinated by the show on the screen... right up until the channel cut to commercials.

Trucy sighed, reaching for the remote to turn down the suddenly-higher volume. "You're right, they _do_ cut at the worst possible times just to keep you watching."

"The appeal of a cliffhanger," Luke replied, turning to watch her. "It's been a story-telling device for centuries for a reason."

"It's _mean_ ," Trucy muttered.

Apollo bit back a giggle. Deciding to be casual, he crossed his arms and leaned them against the high, rounded back of the sofa. "Having fun, you two?"

Luke looked up to his brother with a smile. "Uh-huh. The program we're watching is quite fascinating: There's a race of aliens who are actually _rocks_ , with bodies made of light! The main character's half-human, half-rock, and his mum was the leader of a rebellion of alien rocks that fought in a war over the Earth and, well, it's actually more complicated than that, but she died when he was born, so-"

"Yeah, sounds great," Apollo quickly interrupted, not really interested. "Maybe another time."

"Told you Polly was too old for cartoons." Trucy scoffed. "They're not called 'rocks', anyway."

Luke shrugged. "They _are_ rocks, though. It's such an imaginative concept!" He paused, staring at the TV with a sad look. "My mum would just love it. She _loves_ rocks."

Apollo watched his new brother with sympathy, but had no idea what to say in response. Over the weeks they'd known each other, he'd heard Luke talk at length about his adventures with Professor Layton, the places they travelled to and people they met... but nothing had ever been said about the elder Tritons, outside of how they had vanished. Apollo mused the subject was simply too painful for Luke to bring up before now.

Trucy sat up from where she'd been lying against the arm rest, frowning in concern for the younger of her brothers. "She does?"

Luke nodded, gaze moving to the carpet. "She's a geologist; It's her subject. No matter where we went, she always found a way to talk about rocks... Most of the time it was by finding a pebble she thought was 'just fascinating', and she'd take it home and put it with her collections, and then she'd write its own personal history, just for fun, and read them out loud over supper." He used his uninjured arm to grab at the opposite shoulder, hugging himself tight as he blinked back tears. "I really miss her. Her and Dad."

Trucy shifted across the cushions, and placed a hand on his arm. "It's okay. We're going to find them, right? Then you can tell your mom all about the show with the alien rock people."

Luke sniffed and rubbed his eyes with his shirt sleeve, then gave Trucy a small smile. "Yeah. Of course we are."

Apollo reached over and ruffled the boy's hair through his cap. "You're fine, Luke."

"I'm fine," Luke repeated, grinning up at his brother. "By the way, I like your new clothes."

"Hm?" Trucy finally followed Luke's gaze up to Apollo, the first proper look she'd given their eldest brother since before he first left the apartment that morning. She gasped, "Oh, Polly!", then leapt off the sofa and ran around to meet him. "You're out of your uniform!"

Apollo scoffed, hiding a proud grin as he stepped back from the sofa. "Eh, it's not fancy, but I think it'll do." He tugged on the collar of his new jacket, rearranging the way the hood fell behind his neck. He was glad the sleeves were still rolled up from when he first tried it on in the store - Just as he'd thought, it looked far better with a simple t-shirt underneath it.

Luke got up on his knees, resting on the back of the sofa to get a better look at his brother. "It suits you. You certainly seem much more relaxed in it."

Trucy tapped her chin, thoroughly examining Apollo's entire body. "Red shoes, jeans, white t-shirt, red jacket..." She hummed in thought, then nodded in approval. "Yep, it works." She shot him a grin. "You like red, huh?"

Apollo crossed his arms, glancing over the girl's own casual outfit of a black dress that barely reached her knees, with four diamond buttons sewn on the front. He raised an eyebrow. "You like black, huh?"

Trucy scoffed. "Silly Polly! I'm only wearing this so I don't have to change for my show tonight!"

Only then did Apollo realise he'd seen the dress in question before, multiple times: It was the same one Trucy wore underneath the cape for her magician outfit. Without said cape, or the top hat, neckerchief, gloves, and boots that also accompanied it, it wasn't as obvious what the dress's true function was. "Huh."

"Besides, my favourite colour's blue." Trucy giggled.

Apollo sighed. "Well... I guess mine's red. _This_ red." He tapped his jacket. "Not the red you wear on stage."

Trucy nodded. "That's fair. Mine's more pink, anyway."

Luke jumped, falling back to his seat on the other side of the sofa, and scrambled for the remote. "Trucy, the show!"

Squeaking loudly, Trucy leapt to rejoin her other brother, just as the TV's volume was returned to normal. It appeared the commercials were over, and the pair were very quickly wrapped up in their program as though the previous conversation had never happened.

Apollo rolled his eyes and decided to leave them to it. He couldn't be annoyed at them though; Maybe it was because he was responsible for them now as their elder brother, but their childish antics were only endearing rather than irritating. He was glad for the change, too; Looking back, his irritation at the pair on that first day they all met was born out of jealousy over Luke's impending adoption. He doubted he could enjoy life as a Wright if he couldn't stand his younger siblings acting their age.

_(Speaking of siblings...)_

Apollo's eyes had been caught by a nearby low table, on which sat a plastic plate of spaghetti with a floating fork (an object which still baffled him) and the office phone. He smiled, then pulled a small slip of paper out of his pocket, a precious belonging he had carefully carried home and kept on him specifically for the scribbled phone number across the middle. _(I think it's time I fulfilled a promise I made to a certain someone.)_


	35. Allowing a Call

October 5, 10:04AM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Upstairs

 

Way back on Apollo's first visit to the Agency, Trucy had specifically pointed out the low table in the office.

 

_"See this plate of spaghetti? I saw one just like it in a restaurant once. The floating fork looked so real! That's when I knew, someday, I'd make magic more amazing than that spaghetti!"_

_Luke gave her an appropriate gasp. "Wow, really?"_

_Trucy giggled, nodding. "And after I told Daddy, he got me this for my next birthday! I was so happy, I fell asleep with it, cradled in my arms... and the spaghetti bent."_

_Apollo rolled his eyes. "So, like, which 'daddy' are you talking about here exactly? Mister Wright?"_

_Luke shot his friend a glare. Apollo ignored it._

_Trucy pressed her lips together, rocking from foot to foot awkwardly. "My... real daddy. The one who left."_

_Apollo nodded, but didn't really have a reaction to knowing exactly who she had meant. He hadn't had a reason to ask either, other than spite. Right now, he was just busy pretending he hadn't nearly upset her (and, by extension, Luke) for the second time in barely five minutes._

_Luke forced an awkward smile, pointing to the object next to the spaghetti. "And that's your phone, right? For the agency?"_

_"Yep, that's Daddy's office phone." Trucy perked up with the change of subject. "No one's ever allowed to touch it but him,_ especially _when it's ringing."_

_Apollo raised an eyebrow._

_"Really?" Luke frowned, confused. "Why is that?"_

_Trucy shrugged, but Apollo could tell by her sudden avoidance of eye contact that she at least had an inkling of the reason. However, she was quick to grin, and hurried the boys through to the kitchen. "C'mon, I have to show you the rest of our home!"_

 

It had been three weeks since that conversation, and it still stung guiltily at the back of Apollo's brain. He had already privately vowed to make up for the terrible way he'd treated her on that first day they met - he would freely admit there was no excuse if pressed - but there was more than one reason he remembered the exchange so clearly: Most notably right now, Phoenix had forbidden use of his office phone. If Apollo wanted to use it (or use Phoenix's cellphone, the only other option), he would have to ask Phoenix first.

And it was for that reason Apollo found himself following the sound of dragging wheels up the stairs.

Phoenix was about halfway down the hallway, tugging one of Luke's extra suitcases across the carpet and towards the boys' bedroom. He was walking backwards, so it took him only half a second to notice his eldest son appearing from the stairs, and he paused to take a rest with a relieved smile. "Ah, Apollo. Did you want something?"

Apollo nodded, tapping the bracelet on his wrist. "Yeah, um... Trucy said we're not allowed to use the phone in the office?"

Phoenix's eyes widened for a moment - had he forgotten about that rule himself? - then he laughed, sheepishly running a hand over his beanie. "I'd rather none of you answer it, yes." He kept the grin on his face, though worry pinched at the corners of his eyes as he turned his gaze on Apollo. "Why? Did it ring?"

Apollo shook his head, and didn't fail to notice the way his father minutely relaxed afterwards. "I actually wanted to call someone... a friend of mine. I promised her I would today."

"Sure, you can use it to call your friend." Phoenix paused, and gave the teen a stern look. "But don't take longer than necessary. If my phone bill goes up, you're paying the difference out of your allowance."

Apollo was intimidated for all of a second before smiling. "Oh, we get an allowance? How much?"

Thrown, Phoenix took a moment or two to recover his stern frown. "Um. We'll discuss it later." Clearing his throat, he promptly returned his attention to dragging Luke's extra suitcase into the bedroom.

Hiding a smirk, Apollo turned and dashed back down the stairs.

 

In the office, Luke's and Trucy's cartoon had come to an end, the credits playing on the screen underneath an obnoxious voiceover advertising whatever was on next. Luke and Trucy themselves were ignoring it, idly talking to each other before they noticed Apollo's return.

"Hey, Apollo," Luke called, waving over the back of the sofa.

"Hi!" Trucy grinned, waving with their brother.

Apollo hid a snort, and gestured to the TV. "You guys done watching stuff?"

The pair looked at each other for a few moments in silence.

"I'm happy to stop here," Luke eventually said. "We just finished an episode, after all."

Trucy scrunched up her face for a second or two of wordless thought, then nodded in agreement. "Okay." She returned her attention to Apollo. "Why?"

"I just wanted to make a call." Apollo dropped to the floor by the low table, legs crossed. Already, he'd pulled out the scrap of paper with Kerensa's number, laying it out on the wooden surface where he could easily read it.

The younger pair exchanged another look before Luke jumped for the remote, the TV clicking as it powered off. Trucy dashed around the sofa and to Apollo's side, dropping to the carpet with a conspiratorial grin. "Does Daddy know you're touching his phone?"

Apollo scoffed, rolling his eyes at the girl. "Of course he knows. I asked permission."

Trucy nodded, putting on the airs of deeply considering his answer. "Okay then..." She snapped out of it into another bright grin. "Who you callin'?"

"Oh, I know!" Luke giggled as he joined them, kneeling on the other side of the table. "It's the Bonneys, isn't it?"

Apollo nodded, removing the phone from the base. "I promised Kerensa I'd call her today." He began to dial the number on the slip of paper.

Trucy tilted her head, frowning at her eldest brother. "Who's Kerensa? And the Bonneys?"

"They're a foster family we both stayed with," Luke explained. "Kerensa's the daughter. We promised we'd keep in touch."

Trucy hummed slightly in thought, biting her lip.

Apollo finished pushing the numbers into the keypad and pressed the receiver to his ear. It didn't take long for the ringing to cut off, replaced with the background buzz of the microphone at the other end and a hopeful voice:

"Hello?"

Apollo grinned. "Hey Kerensa! It's Apollo."

"Oh! You called!" Kerensa laughed. "I was looking forward to this!"

Trucy bounced up on her knees, closer to the phone by Apollo's face. With a big smile, she called, "Hi Kerensa!"

Apollo recoiled from the noise, shooting the girl a glare. " _Trucy_! Not so loud! Or so _close_!"

"What?" The girl shrugged innocently. "I was just saying 'hi' to your friend."

Kerensa chuckled in Apollo's ear. "Who was that?"

"My sister." Apollo gave the girl in question a dark look. "Shouting in my face."

Trucy scoffed, dropping back onto the carpet. "I wasn't _shouting_."

Luke snickered, a hand to his mouth. "She's right. That was nothing compared to our Chords of Steel."

The girl paused, frowning. "To your what?"

Apollo sighed. "We'll explain later." After all, they did have yet to explain their Chords of Steel to Phoenix or Trucy - Apollo had even skipped his morning 'workout', waiting as he usually did to ensure a good standing in his new home before causing a ruckus first thing every day. Putting the subject aside, he returned his attention to Kerensa. "Anyway, Luke and I are pretty much settled in now. Or, _I_ am." He raised an inquisitive eyebrow at his brother. "Luke?"

Luke smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, we're both settled in. Did you look up where People Park is?"

Trucy raised an eyebrow. "People Park?"

Apollo shushed her.

"Uh huh." Kerensa hummed in thought, the sound of shuffling paper accompanying her. "Quite a ways away from us. I'm guessing you're not at Turners anymore?"

Apollo snorted. "Nah, us staying at Turners was part of the agreement. Can't leave our friend Clay on his own up there."

Kerensa grunted in surprise, but quickly shrugged the new information off. "Well, we agreed we couldn't make the time to go all the way down there today. I've just got too much studying to do, and Mom has her classes, and Dad has learning activities to plan... and we can't leave Noah unsupervised, anyway."

"Oh." Apollo tried not to sound too disappointed. It _was_ a long way to travel for a quick visit, and at very short notice. He thought about bringing up Trucy's show that night, but soon realised it would also be off-limits when considering the five-year-old Noah. The late timing of the magic act was already a pain for Apollo and Luke just coming from Turner's; There was no way it wouldn't inconvenience a family with such a young child and the same amount of distance to cover afterwards.

"But we _can_ drop by tomorrow."

Apollo perked up. "Tomorrow? Awesome! That'd be great!"

Trucy gasped, equally excited. "Why? What's happening tomorrow?"

This time, it was Luke who gestured for the girl to keep quiet, though he watched their elder brother with wide eyes.

"What time can you get here?" Apollo asked into the phone.

Kerensa chuckled. "We were thinking around eleven or so. Once your family has had enough of us, we're going to take Noah to that new themepark, Gatewater Land. It's not too much further beyond you guys, after all. We could make a day of it."

"It is?" Apollo remembered hearing of the famous hotel chain's themepark when it had its grand opening at the beginning of the year, but he'd never taken much notice of where exactly it was. For that matter, wasn't one of said franchise's hotels right across the street from their new home? He shook off his musings, smiling at the receiver in his hand. "Well, eleven sounds great! We're not doing anything tomorrow as far as I know, so I'll get Dad and Trucy and we'll see you all there!"

Trucy gasped again, bouncing where she sat. "We're gonna meet your friend!?" She leaned in close to Apollo's face again, calling, "I can't wait to meet you!"

Apollo almost fell over, leaning back so rapidly from the force of the girl's sudden movement. " _Trucy_!"

"Me too!" Kerensa laughed. "So, you'd know the park better than me, Apollo. Got a specific place in mind to find each other?"

Sighing, Apollo sat back up. He shot a glare at his giggling sister for good measure before replying into the phone, "Well, there's the eastern entrance I guess. If you wait there, or maybe at the play equipment a little further in, we'll probably find you." _(It's too bad I've only really been in there once. I can only guess there isn't more than one set of equipment.)_

"If they're bringing Noah, the play equipment might be easier," Luke chimed in, a finger pointed knowingly into the air.

"Luke says the play equipment," Apollo passed on with a smile. "I think it's roughly between the eastern and southern entrances, so it shouldn't be hard to find."

Trucy nodded proudly.

"Alright." A faint scribbling sound marked Kerensa noting the location down. "We'll wait there for you, tomorrow at eleven. Just call back if something goes wrong on your end, okay?"

"I promise." Apollo doubted anything would get in the way, but it was always a good idea to be prepared. "We'll talk more then?"

"You bet."

Luke leaned forward a little. "Tell Kerensa I can't wait to see them all!"

Apollo laughed. "Luke says he can't wait to see you."

"Same here!" Kerensa chuckled. "Until tomorrow! Seeya!"

"Bye!"

The phone on the other end hung up with a click.

Apollo grinned as he replaced the receiver on its base, grabbing the slip of paper nearby to return to his pocket. "Well. Looks like we're meeting the Bonneys tomorrow."

"Cool!" Trucy grinned for a few moments before her face fell into a confused look. "So, you said they were a family you used to stay with, right...?"

Luke giggled, briefly meeting Apollo's eyes. "Don't worry, we'll tell you all about them now."

Apollo nodded. "We've got the time, after all."


	36. An Investigation Begins

October 5, 10:28AM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Phoenix's Office

 

"What!? Why didn't you tell me you had a _rabbit_ as a pet!?"

"Because it didn't come up? Besides, I'm telling you _now_."

"But that's so cool! Can I see your rabbit?"

"She's back at the Bonneys, Trucy. Apollo doesn't really own her anymore."

"Exactly. Until I went back with Luke, I hadn't even _seen_ that rabbit in years."

It had been over ten minutes since Phoenix last heard from any of the children under his care, and experience taught him this was unlikely to be a good thing. Once he'd finished the exhausting task of moving Luke's extra suitcases up into the boys' room, he followed the sound of voices into the office, and poked his head into the room with a raised eyebrow. His three children were sat on the floor around the low table, deep in discussion until the door nudged open at Phoenix's touch with a squeak, instantly attracting their attention. Although he'd been hoping to eavesdrop a little longer, Phoenix smiled at the trio and stepped fully into the room. "Why are you three talking about rabbits in here?"

Trucy grinned and pointed enthusiastically at Apollo. "Polly owns one! It lives with his old foster family!"

Apollo scoffed. "It's not 'mine' anymore if it's been years since I actively looked after it."

"This foster family happens to be the same one I stayed with right after the car accident." Luke stood, giving Phoenix a smile. "I got Apollo back in touch with them, and they've agreed to come up and visit us tomorrow." His cheeks reddened. "If that's okay with you, Nick."

Phoenix pulled his beanie tighter on his head with a frown. An idle thought bounced against the back of his mind, wondering if this family in question had heard of him. "Where exactly have you proposed to meet them, may I ask?"

Apollo jumped to his feet with a laugh. "Don't worry, they're coming to the park. And they already know who you are anyway, Dad."

The comment didn't do much to reassure Phoenix. "I can't exactly say the same for them." He gave the beanie an extra tug, just to make sure it was firmly covering his hair.

"That's okay, Daddy." Trucy giggled, bouncing to her feet. "Polly and Luke will tell you everything they told me!"

Apollo nodded. "Their names are Willow, Ryder, and Kerensa Bonney. Willow's the mom - she teaches a kind of dance class - Ryder's the dad - he's an elementary school teacher - and Kerensa's the daughter - she's a few years older than me, and going to college."

"And they have a foster child staying with them right now," Luke added. "His name's Noah. He's five."

"That's the cliffnotes version, anyway." Apollo shrugged. "They were worried about us because we got adopted so suddenly, but they'll be fine once they've met you and Trucy in person, Dad."

Phoenix mused on this information for a moment or two. It struck him that this family was the 'friend' Apollo had wanted to call. He could certainly understand their concern for the boys (a cynical part of him wondered why, if they worried so much about Apollo, they hadn't adopted him themselves), though he didn't share Apollo's optimism that they'd be happy with the infamous Forgin' Attorney as the pair's new guardian. And what if they asked why Phoenix took a shine to Apollo in particular? The full truth of that wasn't something he'd even shared with the kids in question! _But_ , looking at the eager expressions on the three young faces in front of him... Phoenix couldn't say no. He sighed. "Alright, I'll meet them."

The trio cheered, Apollo and Trucy even high-fiving. "They'll be waiting by the play equipment in the park at eleven tomorrow," Apollo explained. "Thanks so much for this, Dad! I just know you'll love them!"

Phoenix nodded, but he still didn't believe it. He gave his beanie another subtle adjustment over his hair.

Trucy squealed, jumping from foot to foot. "This is so exciting!" She gasped loudly, then grasped Apollo's arm. "Oh, I need to practise a few tricks to show them what I can do! C'mon, Polly!" She promptly began to drag her eldest brother towards the kitchen.

Apollo stumbled, only reluctantly following the girl to keep his shoulder in its socket. "Why!? And why me!?"

"Because they're missing my show, duh!" Trucy scoffed, leading him out of the room. "And because I know you really like my magic."

"I-! I do not!" Apollo's sputtering objections faded into the distance as the pair disappeared upstairs.

Phoenix chuckled, returning his attention to Luke. "By the way, I got those last two suitcases of yours into your room."

Luke gasped, dashing a little closer to the man. "You should have told me, Nick! I could have helped!"

Phoenix eyed the boy's broken arm.

Blushing, Luke held the cast to his body. "W-well... Thank you for going to so much effort on my behalf."

"No problem." Phoenix rested his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie, then stepped closer to his desk and casually leaned against it. "They were your mom's and dad's, right?"

Luke stood in silence for a few seconds, staring off into the distance. "They were." He paused, then moved over to stand next to Phoenix, also leaning against the desk. "Nick... You said you were friends with the detective, didn't you? The one investigating the car accident?"

Phoenix nodded. "Detective Gumshoe. He has a real soft spot for kids, so it wasn't hard to convince him to help." He eyed Luke worriedly. "Did you have a question in particular, or are you just asking for the details of the case?"

Luke considered the question. "I guess I just want details." He looked up, meeting Phoenix's eyes. "The Professor mentioned something about other accidents on that road, something you were telling him in your phone calls."

Sighing, Phoenix pushed off the desk. "Yep, I did tell him all of that." He headed over towards the sofa, beckoning Luke to follow. "I'll try and start from the beginning here, but it's a lot to go over. I might miss something and not realise."

"That's okay." Luke perched on the black leather, next to where Phoenix was lowering himself onto the seat. "I'm sure you'll remember all the important things."

Phoenix couldn't help a chuckle at the vote of confidence. "Well, where do I start?" He leaned back on the sofa, pulling his Court Record from his pocket. In a few moments, he was idling through the information he'd collected there, looking for one file in particular. "Ah, here we go." With a tap of his finger, he'd opened the text file, showing a list of dates and brief blurbs of text, which he held out so Luke could see.

Luke leaned forward, frowning at the file as he scanned it. "What's this?"

"All the incidents on Forest Road from the past four years... as far back as we've known something was going on." Phoenix adjusted the screen so both of them could read it, and ran his eyes over the text. "I spent several days going through news archives taking notes of the dates and any relevant details. Every single one of them involves travellers on the road disappearing in the middle of the night, and their vehicle found half-crushed and abandoned nearby."

Luke edged closer to Phoenix, still staring intently at the computer. "Has anyone ever been found?"

Phoenix shook his head. "Those who disappeared haven't been seen since. And the few like you who survived..." He sighed, scrolling through the list on-screen. "Well, Gumshoe says they were almost universally asleep at the time of the crash. They were usually children, like you, but a couple have been elderly."

Luke's eyes shifted to Phoenix's face. " _Almost_ universally asleep? What about the ones who weren't?"

"Well, a bunch of them were too young to say whether or not they _had_ been sleeping; They were babies." He shrugged. "As for the other one, Gumshoe says one of the elderly survivors was awake at the time of the crash, but he wasn't able to tell them anything. Other than the general terrified reactions of a driver about to crash into something, of course."

Luke thought over this for a moment. "Why couldn't he tell the police anything?"

"Because he's blind."

"Oh." Luke looked away, troubled, and pressed a hand to his chin. "Even putting aside the oddness of _every_ survivor but him being asleep at the time, including _me_... A car on the road crashes at night, and anyone inside who isn't a child or very old vanishes without a trace?"

Phoenix nodded. "Aside from them all being adults, the police haven't been able to find any conclusive link between everyone who disappeared. Even the timings of these attacks just seem random." He frowned, looking at the list again. "But, the one you were in was different."

Luke perked up again, eyes back on Phoenix. "Different?"

"There were two cars, instead of the usual one." Phoenix tapped the bottommost entry on the list, showing it to Luke. "Plus, they discovered the other car had a baby in it, who vanished along with both their parents. The first kid to go missing."

"Huh..." Luke held his hand to his chin again, musing on the thought. "I wonder why the pattern changed..."

"I'm sure Gumshoe would appreciate any lead you come up with. For his job's sake, if nothing else." Phoenix snorted. "When the detective in charge of this case stops making progress, they replace them. Gumshoe himself only just replaced the previous head of the investigation, so he'd love to keep from stalling like all his predecessors."

Luke nodded, eyes far away. "It _would_ be beneficial to do as much as we can while it's someone you know in charge."

Phoenix closed the text file on the screen, then slipped his computer back into his pocket. "Last we spoke, he was conducting another search of the woods. They've never found anything before, but there's always the hope they will this time." He gave the boy a smile. "Any ideas?"

It took a few moments for Luke to respond, still deep in thought. "There's something very big and strong, forcing all these cars off the road and yet still hardy enough afterwards to leave the scene."

Phoenix nodded. "Very first thing Gumshoe did was a search for any trucks or other large vehicles suddenly needing repair. Didn't come up with anything."

"Which means whoever's behind it is doing their own repairs..."

"Or has found a mechanic far enough away to be out of the search area."

Luke hummed, his frown intensifying. Finally, he turned to Phoenix with a hopeful look. "Nick?"

Phoenix smiled. "Yes?"

"Would it be possible..." Luke faltered a moment, then regained his courage. "Could we go look at the road itself? Where all those cars crashed?"

Phoenix's smile turned into a grin. "I thought you'd never ask." He ruffled the boy's hair, making Luke giggle. "I'll see what I can do."

 

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	37. Real Family and Secret Missions

October 5, 10:35AM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Trucy's Room

 

Apollo had tried to protest, but secretly he was a little glad Trucy had singled _him_ out to show off her magic tricks. How she'd managed the ones they'd seen on stage still bugged him a week later, and it was killing him that he couldn't work out how she'd done it.

Trucy slammed open her door and shoved Apollo inside, taking care to close it again behind him and flip on the light (though for what reason, he had no idea). Apollo was about to protest her rough handling when it struck him he'd not actually seen inside the girl's room before, and he couldn't help taking a look around. It was a little smaller than his and Luke's - a good thing considering they were two-in-one and she got a room all to herself - but that hadn't stopped her from filling all available space to make it look even smaller. Her bed sat against the far wall under a window larger than the one in the boys' room, looking out over the street below and the hotel across the road. Fitted above it was a set of blinds, which Trucy ran to close.

"Can't have people spying on my tricks, after all!"

Now Apollo understood why she'd turned on the light.

Dodging a closet that was hanging half-open, Trucy ran around her bed to a small desk against the other wall, littered with paper, pencils, sewing supplies and random playing cards, which spilled out onto the surrounding floor and on top of the drawers next to them. Over the back of the child-sized chair hung her cape, while on the seat was placed her top hat. On the wall above hung yet another Troupe Gramarye poster, a printed-out copy on A4 paper featuring a looming man in black over two younger men in pinkish-red and yellow respectively, with a woman in blue on one side and a man in purple and green on the other. Trucy tapped her chin, looking over the crowded desk. "Hmm, where to start...?"

Apollo cleared his throat, scratching his head. "How about... those tricks you did to me last week?"

Trucy stared at him for a moment, then her face split into a conspiratorial grin. "You're just dying to figure out how I did it, huh?"

"N-no." Apollo tried and failed not to turn red, his fingers curling into a fist in his hair.

Trucy giggled. "Silly Polly. I can see through lies, remember? Just like you." She skipped to his side, still grinning. "And a pro magician like me never tells their secrets to just _anybody_. If you _really_ wanna know that bad, you'd have to become a magician yourself!"

Apollo couldn't help but find that idea very tempting.

"And I've always wanted an assistant! You'd be perfect!"

Suddenly Apollo wasn't tempted anymore. He slipped past the girl with a sigh. "No, thanks." With the lone chair in the room not only occupied but far too small for someone Apollo's size, he headed instead to her bed, sitting on the end. "No offence, but I'm happy sticking to being a lawyer and a Wright, not..." He gestured towards the poster. "Not a magician. Not your birth family."

The smile fell quickly from Trucy's face.

"L-like I said, I don't mean anything by that," Apollo hurriedly added. "I mean, you clearly love them, they mean a lot to you. They're just not _my_ family... okay?"

Trucy thought a long moment, linking her hands behind her back as she studied the 'poster'. "When my real daddy left... he promised he'd come back one day." She turned to Apollo with a smile. "When he does, I'll introduce you to him! I think you'd get along great with my real family!"

Apollo stared at her for a long moment, his only movement the subtle raising of an eyebrow. " _Real_ family?"

Trucy's smile froze, confusion in her eyes.

"What, so," Apollo waved a hand, "me, Luke, and Dad _aren't_ family to you?"

The girl jumped a little in shock. "Wha...!? N-no, of _course_ you-!"

"But we're not _real_. We're not related by blood, so we don't count." Apollo crossed his arms, a stern frown pointed in Trucy's direction. "My birth father died when I was a baby. So, according to you, that means I can never have a 'real' dad? And, let's face it, I'm certainly not ever finding my 'real' mom. Does that mean I should just give up then, and go back to foster care?"

Wincing, Trucy stepped back and hung her head. Her hands clutched tightly together, hanging at her front. "Th-that's not what I meant..."

"But it's not what you _said_ , Trucy. How are we supposed to just 'know' what you mean when your meaning doesn't match your words?"

Trucy had no answer to that.

Apollo let the silence hang in the air for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his tone was a lot gentler: "I've been trying, all my life, to find a family I can call _real_. I've had dads, I've had moms, I've had brothers and sisters... But none of them ever really accepted me as _real_ family. None until Dad."

Trucy stared at the carpet, her fingers rubbing against each other in their interlocked grip. "I... I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Apollo leaned back on the end of the bed, his hands resting on the blankets beneath him. "It's just... Now you know what we're hearing when you say that. They're your _birth_ family, your _biological_ family... but that doesn't make them any more 'real' than us." He paused, cheeks pink. "Or, well... I'd _hope_ it doesn't. I'd like to think that... I can consider Dad, Luke and you my real family. My real Dad, my real brother... and my real sister."

Trucy paused only half a second before jumping forward, landing on the bed at Apollo's side and flinging her arms around his chest. The teen barely had time to fling his arms out of her way in his shock. "I do. I'm sorry, Polly." She squeezed tight, her head pressed into Apollo's shoulder as he slowly lowered his arms. "I'll be your real sister, and you and Luke can be my real brothers... and Daddy can be our real Daddy. Is that okay?"

Apollo wasn't sure how to respond at first. Sure, he'd had younger foster siblings, but he'd never grown too attached to any thanks to how short a time he knew them. Slowly, he lowered his arms, patting the girl's back. "Y-yeah." The longer her hug continued, the more confident Apollo became that he wasn't ruining it with his hesitant reaction. He managed a grin, holding his sister tight. "Yeah, that'd be... just the best thing ever."

Trucy giggled. "Good." She released him from her grip, pulling back enough to give him a wide grin. "And you said you wanted to be a lawyer, right? Like Daddy used to be?"

Apollo nodded. "He inspired me, actually. A few years ago, now." He scratched his head in embarrassment, briefly flattening his spikes. "I watched him saving innocent lives and decided... I wanted to do that too. I want to be a defence attorney. And now I get to do it while carrying on his legacy, so..."

Trucy bit back a laugh, then frowned in thought, arms crossed. "Actually..." She fixed Apollo with a studious look. "When you become a lawyer like Daddy, and you get secret missions, you'll let me and Luke help, won't you?"

Apollo blinked. "Secret missions?"

"Yeah." Trucy gripped the edge of the bed, leaning back. "Every so often, Daddy has to go out on a secret mission. He says every lawyer gets them, and I'm not allowed to help because otherwise it wouldn't be secret. The last time he had one was right before Luke's parents disappeared, while I was at school."

Apollo frowned. _(That's odd... Dad's still investigating something from before his disba-...? Oh.)_ He screwed up his nose as the obvious answer occurred to him. _(Of_ course _he's still investigating. Phoenix Wright never gives up a case... especially not his own.)_ "Y'know what, Truce?" He gave his sister a confident smirk. "I think we might be able to convince Dad to open up and let us help _him_."

Trucy's face lit up. "Really?"

At that moment, their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. It creaked open just enough for Phoenix to lean in, giving the pair a smile. "You two having fun in here?"

"Yes, Daddy!" Trucy jumped to her feet, rocking innocently on her heels.

Apollo hid a snicker, standing at her side. "Did you want something, Dad?"

Phoenix pushed the door fully open, leaning against the frame. "Luke and I were planning to go out this afternoon and start our search for his parents. Will you two be okay on your own here?"

The pair locked gazes with wide eyes, an unspoken plan already forming between them. Trucy wasted no time running to Phoenix's side and grabbing his arm. "We're going with you! Me, Polly and Luke are the Missing Parents Club, after all! We promised to help each other!"

Apollo nodded, though secretly he'd already forgotten about the so-called 'club'. "She's right. We want to help, Dad." He paused. "Besides, Luke's family. If it matters to him, it matters to us too."

Phoenix stared at them both in surprise for a moment, then sighed. "Alright, fine. If you two are sure."

Trucy cheered, bouncing on the spot and tugging on Phoenix's arm as she did so. "Thank you, Daddy!"

"But don't blame me if you find the whole thing boring." Phoenix gently removed his arm from the girl's grip. "I'm going to make a call, then we'll get ready to leave, okay?"

Apollo grinned and nodded. "We'll be fine, Dad."

Phoenix managed a weak smile, then turned and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him with a firm click.

Trucy squealed, jumping to Apollo's side and giving him a quick hug. "This is so exciting! Our first assignment for the Missing Parents Club!"

"Yep." Apollo rested a hand on her head, gently guiding her back far enough to see her face. He leaned down with a knowing smile. "And you know what? If we can prove ourselves useful enough to Luke's 'secret mission', then maybe Dad will decide to let us in to _his_ 'secret mission' too."

Trucy gasped, then copied her brother's conspiratorial grin.


	38. Gumshoes on the Case

"Oh, hey pal!"

"Hey, Gumshoe. You're not busy right now, are you?"

"Nope! Hey, how are your kids? Everything go fine?"

"Yes, everything's fines. Just getting the boys settled in this weekend before they head off back to school on Monday. You and Maggey doing well, I hope?"

"Sure, sure, pal! Hey, is this about the Forest Road investigation?"

"Actually, yes. I was hoping to take Luke - well, all three of them now - up there to look around, but it's much longer than I thought and I have no clue exactly where his car crashed... You wouldn't be able to tell me that, would you?"

"... You know what? I can do better than that, pal!"

"Huh?"

"I'm not doing anything today, and I'm dyin' to see that Luke kid again to make sure he's alright... After all that trouble we went to for 'im...! *sniff* A-anyway, I'm gonna give you a ride up there! I insist!"

"R-really? Is there even room for all four of us in that old car of yours?"

"Sure there is, pal! You guys hang tight, and I'll be there in twenty minutes!"

"B-but-!"

_click!_

"*sigh* Not the way I was expecting that to go, but they do say not to look a gift horse in the mouth..."

 

October 5, 11:06AM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Outside

 

"THE DETECTIVE'S HERE!"

The shout had barely finished echoing in the apartment before Trucy Wright came barrelling down the stairs to the street below. At her back was Luke, his broken arm held tight to his torso and his satchel flying behind him.

Gumshoe grinned as he waved to the pair. "Hey, you two!" He stepped away from the old car at his side, trenchcoat flapping at the back of his legs. "It's been a while, huh?"

Trucy bounced on her heels, hands clutched behind her. "Hi, Mister Detective!"

Luke stopped at the girl's side and tipped his cap. "Hello again, Detective Gumshoe. It's very kind of you to help me and Nick investigate this case."

Gumshoe chuckled, scratching his head. "Aw, it's no trouble, pal."

More footsteps tromped down the stairs, announcing the arrival of Apollo and Phoenix, the latter still shoving his keys into a pocket. Apollo watched the detective with a minute frown, keeping his distance. Phoenix stepped forward with a grin. "Gumshoe!"

"Pal!" Gumshoe threw his arms out wide, then rushed forward to pull Phoenix into a tight hug, worry pinching at his eyes and mouth. "You holdin' up okay? You need anythin'? Maggey says her offer to make ya some stuff to eat is still open."

Phoenix gently extricated himself from the detective's grasp, patting Gumshoe's arm. "I'm holding up just fine, you know that. And tell Maggey thanks for the offer, but I'm doing fine on that front too."

Gumshoe sniffed, wiping his eyes with a sleeve. "Okay, pal."

Phoenix sighed, shoving his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie. "Thank you for doing this for us, by the way. You didn't have to."

"I know." Gumshoe shrugged, grinning proudly. "I wanted to, pal." He turned towards the ramshackle car sitting on the street behind him, pulling open the door into the back. "Now, everybody get in! There's enough room for all of you."

"I bags the middle!" Trucy immediately dove for the back seat.

Luke giggled, following the girl in, though he had to edge past her to get to the other side. Apollo just rolled his eyes before sliding into the final empty seat and closing the door.

Phoenix and Gumshoe took no time at all getting into the front of the car, though it still took a few tries for the detective to make the engine do anything more than growl angrily every time he turned the key.

"Hang on, pal, this just takes a bit of coaxing to get going."

Phoenix couldn't help but wince at the prospect of the journey awaiting them.

Finally, the engine came to life with a gurgle, and Gumshoe guided it out into the weekend traffic. "So, I've already met two of you." He glanced at the back seat in his rear-view mirror. "Little Trucy and Luke."

Trucy waved. "You were examining my grandpa!"

"Investigating his murder," Phoenix corrected.

Apollo raised an eyebrow.

"Yep, that's me!" Gumshoe chuckled. "Though they took me off that case after the accused disappeared. Right now, I'm on the Forest Road disappearances."

Luke turned his gaze out the window. "Including my parents'..."

Gumshoe nodded, his expression briefly turning grim before he plastered over it with another grin. "Hey, you seem to be doing a lot better since I last saw you, pal. Me and Mister Wright here went to a lot of trouble findin' where you got to after that."

Luke smiled at the rear-view mirror. "Yes, Nick mentioned you were trying to help. Thank you."

"Pshaw, it was nothin'..." Gumshoe blushed proudly, then glanced towards the last of the trio in the back seat. "So that makes you Apollo, huh? The last-minute addition?"

Apollo jolted in surprise, and hurriedly nodded. "Y-yeah, that's me." He wasn't sure what to make of the description he'd been given, but he decided not to question it.

"You may not have met, but I'm sure Apollo recognises you, Gumshoe." Phoenix shot a grin into the back seat. "He was busy telling me when we first met all about the trials I defended that he came to see. He would've seen _you_ a lot."

Apollo blushed, arms tightly crossed. " _Daaaad_..." Next to him, Trucy badly hid her giggles behind a hand.

"Huh, really?" Gumshoe's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he considered the news in silence. After a moment, he smiled. "Never really considered myself all that well-known before, pal!"

Luke frowned. "Were you on a lot of Nick's cases, Detective?"

"He was," Phoenix chuckled. "I think all but one or two of my state-side cases were investigated by Gumshoe here."

Gumshoe laughed. "Yeah, you need to stop turnin' up at every murder, pal."

Apollo pressed a finger to his forehead. "Wait, so if it was nearly always you investigating all those cases..." He looked up with a raised eyebrow. "Doesn't that mean it was your fault all those innocent people got falsely accused?"

Phoenix's head whipped around to shoot the teen a glare.

"Hey!" Gumshoe huffed. "The prosecutors always agreed I got the right guy, pal! And usually I _do_ get the right guy, anyway!"

Luke nodded, giving his brother a disapproving look. "That wasn't exactly a very nice thing to say, Apollo."

Trucy merely frowned in confusion.

Apollo recoiled. Of all the reactions to his ill-thought-out question, it was Phoenix's that hit him hardest.

"Ignore him," Phoenix advised his friend in the front seat, turning his face out towards the windshield. "Your hard work is always appreciated, Gumshoe."

"You bet it is, pal." Gumshoe huffed a little more before calming down. "Mister Edgeworth thinks so, too. He hasn't undone that raise he gave me yet."

Phoenix snorted, jerking in his seat as he fought not to break out in laughter. "What-? _Edgeworth_ gave you a _raise_!?"

"Oh, did I not tell you about that?" Gumshoe flashed a proud grin in Phoenix's direction. "Yeah, he recommended it near the beginning of the year."

"Was he _feeling well_?"

Gumshoe shrugged off Phoenix's barely-restrained giggles. "He had a really tough investigation that nearly cost him his job, pal. He appreciated my help more than ever." He lifted his hand off the wheel long enough to wave at the man seated next to him. "Just ask 'im if you don't believe me."

"Oh, I _will_." Phoenix snorted, his laughter dying down though he still grinned widely. "That is a _promise_."

In the back seat, Apollo and Luke exchanged confused looks over their sister's head.

Trucy leaned forward, her hand on the back of Phoenix's armrest (she was too short to reach any further forward). "Daddy, are you talking about Uncle Edgeworth?"

"Indeed I am."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. " _Uncle_ Edgeworth? We have an uncle?"

"Aww, that's sweet!" Gumshoe chuckled. "Mister Edgeworth agreed to be their uncle?"

Phoenix hid a snort. "Less 'agreed', more 'drafted'."

Luke hummed in thought. "So I'm guessing this 'Mister Edgeworth' isn't your brother, Nick."

"Nope." Phoenix turned in his seat to face the trio in the back of the car. "He's just an old friend of mine. We've known each other most of our lives, actually."

"That's why he's 'Uncle'!" Trucy giggled.

Phoenix nodded, looking to Apollo and Luke. "You two will get to meet him eventually."

"Yeah, he's out of the country right now," Gumshoe added. "Isn't due back for another couple of weeks."

"He's always off on one or other of his 'international study trips', or whatever he calls them." Phoenix smirked, turning back in his seat to face the road ahead. "Though I can't say I wouldn't do the same if I had the same kind of paycheck _he_ does."

Gumshoe sighed wistfully. "Aw, wouldn't that be great, pal?"

Apollo rolled his eyes and leaned against the window, watching the buildings pass by. He suspected it was going to be a long ride ahead of them...

 

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	39. Detectives on Forest Road

October 5, 12:03PM  
Forest Road

 

The unbroken line of tarmac stretched as far as the eye could see, disappearing behind green-coated trees in one direction and the downwards slope of the mountain in the other. The forest that gave the road its name surrounded it on all sides, though there was just enough of a gap between the asphalt and the treeline for Gumshoe's car to comfortably pull over into the grass. The engine switched off with a buzz, dropping them into the relative silence of the woods outside.

Luke pushed open the car door and stepped out. They were quite a distance from the city (he couldn't imagine how Phoenix had been planning to get here without the help of someone's car), so the only sounds in the air were birdsong and the rustle of the breeze through the leaves. He moved around to the back of the car, looking out across the road itself, and saw nothing more interesting than faint tire tracks across its surface... only what he would expect to see on any other random road. _(It's... It's so_ normal _...)_

Trucy, having slipped out of the car behind Luke, stuck close to her brother's side. She reached forward and clutched his uninjured arm with both hands, watching him with a frown. "Are you okay?"

Luke nodded, giving the girl a smile. "I'm fine, Trucy. Thank you."

Phoenix frowned as he stood out of the car, casting a careful sweep of the locale with his eyes. "They've cleared everything up?"

"It's been over a month, pal." Gumshoe closed the driver door, then shoved his hands in his pockets and rounded the vehicle towards Phoenix. "Needed to open up the road again by the next day. Might not be the busiest road in the world, but it sure takes a long time to find another way around this mountain."

Apollo slipped out the back, through the same door Luke and Trucy had used, closing it behind him.

"'Sides," Gumshoe leaned in close to Phoenix, a hand by his mouth. "I don't think you're gonna find anything anyway. We've had a twenty-man team scope the place out good. Isn't anything left even _you_ could find."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "I doubt that."

"I agree, Apollo." Phoenix finally closed his door, and shot the detective a grin. "You wouldn't have insisted on going to the trouble of taking us up here if you didn't think we might find something."

Gumshoe blushed, scratching his head.

Luke returned to the group, Trucy at his side. "Thank you again for agreeing to help us, Detective. I hope you won't take it personally that we want to do our own investigation."

"Aw, don't you worry, pal." Gumshoe waved off Luke's concern with a grin. "I understand. If anyone can turn around a case like this," he jerked a thumb in Phoenix's direction, "it's Mister Wright."

Apollo blinked, looking up at the detective in surprise.

Phoenix blushed, scratching the back of his head. "Ah... I didn't know you had so much faith in me, Gumshoe."

Gumshoe simply scoffed in reply.

Luke and Trucy giggled. "That's good," Luke told the detective. "I'm quite experienced with investigations myself, so I just wanted to be sure."

"And if there's anything left to be uncovered, it would be by the skills of the Great Professor Layton's apprentice." Phoenix shot the boy a grin.

Now it was Luke's turn to blush, always proud to be compared to his mentor.

Phoenix turned to Gumshoe. "So, where was the Tritons' car found?"

"It was _found_ down the road a way," Gumshoe gestured behind the car, down the slope, "but it didn't crash there, and neither did the other car."

Trucy cocked her head to one side. "How do you know that?"

"Tracks on the road, pal." Gumshoe beckoned for the Wrights to follow him, and walked across the grass to the front of the car. Once the family had joined him, he pointed to dark black skids across the surface of the asphalt, curving dramatically into the other lane before winding back and running off the road entirely. "We found these fresh tracks, as well as another set further down the road, the day after. Both were headed into the city, but the tires were different enough we could figure out which came from where... and these ones were from _your_ car, pal."

Luke gasped, his free hand gripping the strap of his satchel tight.

"We've got no idea what they ran into or how the cars ended up where they were," Gumshoe continued. "Just like all the others, the fronts were all crushed, and a bit of each side too. Most of the tires had popped off. The biggest shock of all was the empty baby seat in the other car!" He sighed, scratching his head. "And then all the askin' around we had to do to even _identify_ the people in that other car. An entire young family, disappeared off the face of the Earth."

Apollo gave his brother a worried look. "You recognise anything?"

Luke shook his head. "I was sleeping at the time..." He raised his hand to gingerly rub his forehead through his hat. "And I hit my head in the crash, so I didn't wake up until after the ambulance arrived."

Trucy turned with a frown to the nearby treeline. "So if Luke's mommy and daddy weren't in the car, they must be in the woods somewhere, right?"

"That's the assumption." Phoenix followed her gaze, hand pressed to his chin. "You said the woods were thoroughly searched, Gumshoe?"

The detective nodded sadly. "Search is always the first thing after a disappearance. We never find anything, though."

Luke stared at the trees for a long moment. "Nick?" He turned to his adoptive father. "Is it alright if we have a look?"

"Uh-uh, bad idea!" Gumshoe cut his hands in a crossing motion through the air, a stern frown on his face. "You know how many people have vanished in these woods, pal!? We use small teams in our search just so we don't lose anyone else! A-and, what if one of you steps on a rattlesnake? Ain't none of us wearin' the kind of protection to deal with that, pal!"

The kids all winced, glancing at each other. The detective made a good point.

Phoenix waved off Gumshoe's warnings. "Then, let's compromise: We'll stay in sight of the road, and not go far enough to get lost."

"And I can take care of any wildlife we might run into," Luke offered.

"You want to lead the way?" Phoenix chuckled, a hand at his chin. "A snake isn't going to stop and talk if it thinks it's under attack."

Luke nodded. "I know that. I'll be careful where I step, so I don't hurt them accidentally."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "What, you learned how to handle _snakes_ back in England?"

"Wow, that's so cool!" Trucy grinned up at Luke. "Can you teach me?"

Luke blushed. "Um..."

Phoenix laughed. "Just trust us, Luke can handle any animals that get in our way." He turned to Gumshoe. "Does that sound good?"

Gumshoe considered the offer for a few moments... then sighed. "Alright, but we stick to a group, okay pal?"

Phoenix smiled. "Agreed."

 

* * *

 

It was more difficult than it sounded to keep Forest Road in sight around the straight trunks of the coniferous trees that surrounded them. In the shade of the canopy above, and with long grass and fern undergrowth covering the floor, Luke also found it much harder than he anticipated to keep an eye on his feet as he'd promised. He ended up deciding to rely on his adoptive family to keep an eye on the road, focusing his own attention on the ground in front of him. At his back was Phoenix, and Luke hoped, with their combined experience, they wouldn't miss any trace of evidence that Clark or Brenda Triton may have left behind.

Following Phoenix in the single-file line was Apollo, who sighed loudly. "Is this like any of your other cases?"

"Whose cases? Mine, Gumshoe's or Luke's?" Phoenix asked over his shoulder.

Luke shook his head. "Not mine, please. I'm busy." He promptly tuned out the conversation to focus on his mission.

Phoenix shot Apollo a grin. "Me or Gumshoe, then."

Apollo shrugged, his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Both, I guess. You worked together a lot, right?"

At the back of the line, Gumshoe laughed. "Well, I guess this forest does remind me of that murder at Gourd Lake, right pal?"

"The trees aren't very similar, though; These ones are deciduous." Phoenix pointed to the green branches above them. "No lake, and a lot more mountains. More like Hazakura Temple, if you ask me."

"'Cept there's no snow here." Gumshoe shot Apollo a grin. "But yeah, Mister Wright and I worked together a lot over the past four years. How many of our trials did you see, pal?"

Apollo blushed, running a hand through his hair. "I-I went to six or seven, depending on how you count them... but I don't know how many of those also had _you_ on them, Detective."

Trucy bounced happily, keeping her position in the line between Apollo and Gumshoe. "Those cases were how you became friends, right?"

"You bet, pal!" Gumshoe chuckled, patting Trucy's head. "We made almost as good a team as me and Mister Edgeworth do!"

Apollo frowned. This was the second time this mysterious 'Edgeworth' - non-police superior of Gumshoe and friend of Phoenix - had come up in conversation, and he was starting to think he'd probably seen the guy in court. _(If I wasn't so terrible with names, I'd know who the hell this mysterious 'uncle' really is by now...)_

Phoenix hummed, a wry half-smile on his face. "If only that had mattered for anything in the Gramarye trial..."

Apollo's eyes widened, and he glanced at Trucy behind him: The girl was staring off into the woods with a distant smile, so he had no idea if she'd heard the comment or not. He redirected his eyes to the tall man behind her. "Y-yeah, you said earlier you were the detective on that case, didn't you?"

Gumshoe looked away, highly uncomfortable. "Yeah, I was..." He made a kind of grunting whine deep in his throat, then turned a pitiful gaze to the back of Phoenix's head. "Pal, you know if I'd had any idea what Prosecutor Gavin was planning, I'd've-"

"I know." Phoenix kept his eyes firmly ahead, making every appearance of continuing to assist Luke, though Apollo could see how tense the man's posture was; His voice was equally quiet. "It wasn't your fault, Gumshoe. Not even Edgeworth thinks it is."

Gumshoe whined again, his eyes on the ground.

Apollo watched Phoenix with wide eyes full of worry. The disbarment hadn't come up often since he first met Phoenix, but it was impossible to miss how miserable and withdrawn the man became at the mere mention of it. It had been bad enough just seeing the vitriol directed at his hero in the media; Knowing said negativity had affected his idol-turned-father personally was even worse.

A small hand grabbed Apollo's from behind, and the teen glanced behind him to see Trucy keeping close to his back, her own eyes sadly down-turned. Of course. It was easy to forget with the girl's acting skills that the disbarment had affected her, too. After their discussion that morning, Apollo was glad she felt comfortable lowering the veil in front of him. He smiled and squeezed her hand, then turned his head back to follow their father's footsteps.

 

[View the Court Record](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/162393809499/tumblr_osb5iqIvxd1uwes7q)


	40. Bloodied Bracelet

October 5, 12:21PM  
Forest Road  
Mountain Forest

 

Luke was only dimly aware of the discussion behind him dying down, his concentration tightly focussed on the forest floor in front of him. Secretly, he'd been hoping to find some kind of tracks out here to mark his parents' path, but the time that had passed combined with the layer of ferns and grassy undergrowth to ensure there was no trace of any human movement in this green wilderness. Through his disappointment, he reminded himself that, even if there _had_ been any tracks, the police search teams would have found them already. Instead, mindful of Gumshoe's warning about snakes, Luke thoroughly eyed what he could of the ground under the foliage, lifting ferns and kicking aside fallen branches. He half-hoped he _would_ find a rattlesnake, if only to ask what it knew about the crash... but it had been long enough since that night, he wasn't sure anything still nearby would remember what he was asking about. The loud noise of a crashing car would probably have scared them away, anyway.

A hand on his shoulder pulled Luke to a sudden halt, and he looked up to see Phoenix staring hard at something just ahead.

"Luke..." Phoenix pointed at a thick cluster of ferns ahead. "Can you see that?"

Luke turned his attention to the ferns in question. They waved slightly in the breeze, and Luke caught a glimpse of something underneath... something with sharp, regular edges, and an unnaturally shiny and smooth white ball. He gasped. There was no way whatever _that_ was wasn't man-made. Being careful to scope out the undergrowth before putting down his feet, Luke moved as fast as he could towards the cluster of ferns, and dropped into a crouch. _(Please be a clue, please be a clue, please be a clue...)_ Luke took a deep breath, then lifted the ferns to examine the abandoned object underneath.

Phoenix knelt at Luke's side, frowning at their discovery. "Is that a bracelet?"

Luke couldn't reply, his face pale. Sitting in the patch of deep brown soil was indeed a bracelet, a simple elastic string of wooden beads complete with a clasp to hold it firmly around its owner's wrist. A stub of spare ribbon was tied in a bow on one end, attaching to the bracelet a small rounded heart with the letters 'NY' painted on the front in bold print. Spread across the square beads and small heart-shaped charm was a thin caking of suspicious-looking _brown_.

Apollo crashed through the grass to join them, leaning over his father and brother. "N.Y.? As in New York?" He looked to Phoenix. "It's a souvenir?"

"Looks like it." Phoenix pulled out his Court Record, snapping a picture of the item. "I doubt this was left by a search team... and this isn't exactly a prime location for hiking." He hummed in thought, staring at the captured image on his screen. "I'd say it's highly likely this was left by a victim."

"Really!?" came Gumshoe's excited voice from behind them. "You found a clue, pal!?"

Apollo raised an eyebrow, studying the bracelet. "It doesn't look like that charm matches the rest of it, though. Kinda ugly little thing."

Trucy rushed to Apollo's side and grabbed his arm. As she saw what her father and brothers were looking at, she giggled. "I think it's cute."

"What is it, pal? A souvenir bracelet?" Stomps in the undergrowth signalled Gumshoe's attempts to see over the huddled Wright family. "Any idea how long it's been there?"

"Since August," Luke croaked, still staring wide-eyed at the bracelet in the dirt. "It's been there since August."

Luke could feel everyone's eyes jumping to him like they'd been magnetised. Silence hung in the air for a long moment, then Phoenix quietly asked, "You recognise it, Luke?"

The boy nodded. "It's... It's my mum's."

Apollo and Trucy gasped, shooting each other surprised glances.

Now he'd started talking, Luke found he couldn't stop: "She bought the bracelet on the boat, while we were crossing the Atlantic... then, once we got off in New York, she got the charm, and tied them together." He shrugged. "Sure, it looks strange, but Mum loves collecting strange things like that. She says its why she became a geologist."

Trucy dropped to the grass at Luke's side and threw her arms around his chest, being careful not to jostle his broken arm. "It's okay. We'll find her."

Luke's grip on the ferns he was holding aside tightened as he tore his gaze from the bracelet to his adoptive sister. Seeing her worried expression, he managed a small smile.

Gumshoe stepped into the gap left by Trucy, though it was quite a squeeze for his much larger frame. He peered past Apollo to the item under the ferns, studying it intensely. "Well, we definitely didn't find this in the search. I'd better get it to the forensic team for study."

"Good idea." Phoenix returned his computer to his pocket, pulling out a small ziplock bag. He started moving to scoop the bracelet into the bag, but paused mid-movement with a frown. "Actually, speaking of forensics..." He stuck his hand into his other pocket, replacing the small bag with a blue-and-white spray-bottle; It appeared unmarked except for a geometric label near the bottom that read 'LUMINOL REAGENT'. As Phoenix adjusted it in his hands, Luke also glimpsed the words 'Ema Skye' written on the underside in black marker. "Let's find out what that brown stain is first." He turned his eyes up to the detective. "That alright, Gumshoe?"

Gumshoe noticed the spray-bottle and grinned. "Oh! It's been a while since I've seen _that_ , pal!" He chuckled. "Sure, go ahead."

Apollo frowned at the bottle. "What is it?"

Phoenix placed the bottle on the ground next to him, then began to dig around in his pockets. "A substance called luminol. It glows slightly in reaction to bodily fluids, which includes blood."

"Blood?" Luke went pale, directing wide eyes towards Phoenix. "You think it's covered in blood!?"

Phoenix paused, looking back at Luke in concern. He took a moment to reply: "Even if it isn't, wouldn't you prefer to know for sure?"

Luke bit his lip, returning his gaze to the bracelet. Now the possibility had been raised, he couldn't deny Phoenix's point. If they didn't test for blood, the unexplored lead would just haunt him.

Receiving no reply, Phoenix returned to his rummaging and pulled from his pocket a pair of glasses, red lenses held in a thick, white frame. Smiling slightly, he shoved it on his face, then scooped up the bottle of luminol.

Apollo pointed at Phoenix's face. "What are those for?"

Phoenix snorted, thought a moment, then pulled the glasses off. "Want to see for yourself?" He held them out.

Apollo blinked in surprise, then hesitantly reached out to take them. He thought a moment, then slipped the glasses over his face, still giving Phoenix a confused look.

"Watch the bracelet for me, would you?" Smiling, Phoenix waited until Apollo's puzzled gaze had moved to the bracelet, then began to spray the contents of the bottle evenly over the ground.

Luke stared hard, waiting for any sign of the 'glow' Phoenix had mentioned. The substance being sprayed seemed to be clear, so he couldn't tell as easily as Phoenix could where it had been sprayed... and it wasn't glowing, either. He wanted to relax at that thought, but couldn't bear to unless he heard confirmation there wasn't any kind of delayed reaction.

"Woah!" Apollo lifted the glasses off his eyes for a moment, then dropped them back down, his mouth hanging open. "It's... It's glowing!"

In an instant, the bottom fell out of Luke's stomach.

Phoenix's smile fell, and he held out his hand. "Can I see?" Apollo was quick to hand the glasses back over, and Phoenix slipped them on his face to study the bracelet himself. "Ah... Not the residue of animal urine, then."

Gumshoe's frown was as hard as Phoenix's. "It's definitely blood, pal?"

"Looks like it." Phoenix pulled off the glasses and offered them to the detective, who didn't hesitate to take a look himself. "Only on the brown parts, concentrated near the bottom. It was probably still wet when it was dropped."

Trucy's arms tightened around Luke's chest with a whimper.

Luke found himself suddenly unable to look at the bracelet, and his gaze drifted upwards, to where his hand was still frozen holding aside the ferns that normally covered the ground below. With Phoenix's final words echoing in his ears, his horrified nausea subsided, distracted by a sudden conclusion forming in his mind. "It couldn't have fallen here."

Trucy leaned back a little, watching her brother curiously. "What do you mean?"

"The way these ferns hang over it, if the bracelet had been dropped from above, it would have been deflected off into the surrounding grass." Luke gestured with his head, both his arms otherwise occupied. "The only way it could have ended up where it is is if it was thrown at an angle... or placed there." He looked up to meet Phoenix's eyes. "My mum put this here deliberately."

Phoenix hummed, a hand curling around his chin. "So, right after the crash... Your mother, or your father, maybe even both, are probably injured and bleeding, and the blood gets on this." He gestured to the bracelet with a frown. "They come out here into the forest, leaving you behind in the car... and then hide this under some ferns?" He slowly shook his head, still staring at the abandoned item. "Why would they do that?"

Luke's expression hardened. "Why would they have left the car? Mum and Dad trust me to take care of myself, sure, but they still never would have just left me behind like that. They're the ones who taught _me_ how dangerous it is to wander into woods without some plan of finding your way back out. _None_ of what they did that night makes sense."

Phoenix solemnly nodded in agreement. Apollo and Trucy gave each other worried glances.

Gumshoe sighed as he removed the red-lensed glasses, which he handed back to Phoenix. "That's just the problem, pal: So many people suffering the same accident and making the same unexplainable decisions afterwards? If any of it made any sense, we'd've stopped this happening a long time ago."

Luke turned his eyes back on the bracelet, biting his lip. "If they're all doing the same thing... then that might mean they don't have a choice. The decision to leave is being made _for_ them, by someone else."

"Someone else?" Apollo raised an eyebrow. "What, you think there's some grand conspiracy out here in the mountains to randomly crash cars and kidnap the people inside? You'd need a lot more than _one person_ to do something that big."

"And how are they crashing the cars, anyway?" Trucy huffed, crossing her arms. "Not even a whole _troupe_ of grand magicians can do that with their bare hands."

Apollo nodded. "Exactly. You'd need a really big vehicle, or just a big machine on wheels, to do that."

Gumshoe scoffed, shaking his head. "Pal, we've searched up here pretty thoroughly over the years. Haven't found a trace of any 'machine'... or anything at all, really."

"Actually, I'm with Luke on this." Phoenix slipped his spray-bottle and glasses back into a pocket, shooting Luke a wry smile. "Stranger things have happened in this world."

Luke gave his adoptive father an appreciative smile in return. He had a good idea that Phoenix was specifically thinking of Labyrinthia.

Before anyone else could protest, Phoenix pulled out his small ziplock bag again. He flipped it mostly-inside-out over his hand, and expertly scooped up the bracelet inside, flipping the bag back to normal around it before fastening the top. "There, all set for the professional forensics." He handed the bagged evidence to Gumshoe with an apologetic look. "Let them know we already sprayed luminol on it, won't you?"

Gumshoe nodded as he took it, placing the bag straight into one of the pockets in his massive coat.

Apollo frowned, turning to his father. "Why are we giving it away?"

"Because there's nothing more we can do with it." Phoenix glanced awkwardly in Luke's direction. "Except maybe clean it up and give it to Luke."

Luke shook his head. "If the police might be able to find new information from that bracelet, I don't want it." He paused, finally lowering the ferns in front of them. "Not yet, anyway."

Trucy gave him another hug.


	41. A Proper Family

October 5, 1:05PM  
Forest Road

 

After finding the bracelet, the Wrights continued their search of the forest by the road for another half-hour before finally Phoenix announced it was time to give up.

"We got lucky. We found something. We're not going to find anything else."

Luke wanted to protest, but he knew Phoenix had a point.

As they converged back on Gumshoe's aged car, the detective patted Luke's head. "It's okay, pal. Look on the bright side: You can always look back on today as the first family investigation you guys all went on together!"

Trucy jumped, turning to Phoenix. "Ooh, yeah! 'Cause we'll be going on way more, right, Daddy?"

Phoenix laughed, waving the girl off. "Ah, we'll see." He paused by the car, hands in his pockets, and turned to look over his three children. "Although, it would be hard to look back on something if there's no record of it, huh?"

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, today's our first full day as a family, isn't it?" Phoenix pulled his Court Record from his pockets with a smile. "And if there's one thing I know families do, it's take family photos."

Apollo stopped in his tracks, eyes wide.

Trucy gasped. "Oh, yes, we don't have any of those yet! Not with Luke and Polly in them!"

Luke bit back a memory of old albums belonging to the Triton family, trying not to reflect that he would never see them again. He forced a smile. "That sounds... good."

"You bet it does!" Trucy grabbed Luke's arm and then Apollo's, dragging them both to her sides with the downwards slope of the road at their backs. "Daddy, take a photo!"

"Oop, let me get out of the way first, pal." Gumshoe chuckled as he dashed around the kids to wait behind Phoenix.

Laughing, Phoenix set up his Court Record to take a photo. "I _was_ planning on it, Trucy. Huddle up, you three."

Trucy tugged on her brothers' arms, and they both leaned down to match her height. When standing straight, she was by far the shortest of them, the top of her head barely reaching Luke's armpits, and Luke himself eye-level with Apollo's chin. Apollo nearly had to bend over a full ninety degrees to get his head next to his sister's (Luke had a much more reasonable forty-five degree bend to his posture), and Trucy was quick to place her hands on her brothers' shoulders to keep them there. Apollo bent his knees into a more comfortable crouch, wondering how the shortest person in his classes (barring Luke) had ended up the tallest of his family. Not that that was a bad thing; As uncomfortable as it was to 'huddle up', it was nice to be the tallest for a change. He hooked his hand on Trucy's arm, the bracelet on his wrist sparkling in the sunlight. Opposite him, Luke giggled, hugging his broken arm to his chest and wrapping the other across Trucy's back. It was harder for him to bend his legs without a spare arm to brace it, but he was able to hold the pose anyway.

Phoenix grinned at the sight of his three smiling children, and held up his computer to frame them on the screen. "Everyone say 'I'm a dork'."

Apollo smirked. "You're a dork."

Phoenix exaggerated a wince despite his smile. "Ouch, my own son."

The trio opposite giggled. Apollo especially couldn't help a wave of pride swelling up in his chest, hearing the words 'my son' coming from Phoenix in reference to _him_.

The computer in Phoenix's hands emitted a loud click from its speakers as it took the photo.

 

* * *

 

After such a busy morning, the Wrights enjoyed a quiet afternoon back home. Luke borrowed one of the extra desks in reception to spend a lot of time writing in his notebook, copying down Phoenix's notes on the history of Forest Road's accidents as well as documenting their own discoveries from their search. Trucy showed off a few more of her tricks for Apollo, narrowing down a few she thought the Bonneys might like on their visit the next day, while Apollo mostly tried to figure out how they worked. Busy with their own pursuits, none of the children paid attention to whatever Phoenix was doing.

The sun began to set, and Trucy hurried off to put on her complete magician costume for her show. Luke, still in reception, was the only one to hear when a knock came at the front door.

Clay sauntered into the Wright Talent Agency with wide eyes, eagerly taking in as much of it as he could. "Wow... This is your new home, Luke?"

Luke nodded, closing the door behind his friend. "This is just the office part. The living area is further in." He gestured Clay to follow and headed through to Phoenix's office.

In the next room, Apollo was leaning against his father's desk, reading the spines of the endless law books occupying the shelves behind it. He turned as he heard the door to reception opening, and, seeing Clay, shot his friend a smile. "Hey, you made it!"

Clay snorted, heading straight for Apollo. "Dude! I almost didn't recognise you, 'Pollo! What are you wearing?" He snickered, picking at Apollo's rolled up sleeves the moment he was close enough. " _That's_ not your uniform!"

Apollo glared, slapping Clay's hand away. "Congratulations, you've noticed people can change their clothes." He crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "The phrase 'babies have no concept of object permanence' comes to mind."

Clay laughed and waved him off.

"We're just waiting for Trucy to finish getting changed." Luke joined the pair with a smile. "We'll get going after that."

"How long does that take?" Clay asked.

Apollo shrugged. "Eh, we'll find out."

Luke giggled. "She shouldn't be too long."

As if on cue, the door to the kitchen opened, and Phoenix stepped through into the office. "Trucy's on her- Oh, hello." He shoved his hands in his pockets, giving their visitor a smile. "Clay. Glad you could make it. We were just about to leave."

Apollo's face broke into a grin. "We were?"

Phoenix chuckled and nodded. "As I was just saying, Trucy's on her-"

"I'm here!" The eight-year-old girl barrelled into the room, past Phoenix, and posed for the boys with her hands on her hips. "This show is ready to go on!" She gasped as she noticed Clay, and puffed out her chest specifically for him. "Hello there, sir! Ready to see the greatest magic show in all of Los Angeles?"

Clay pressed a hand to his mouth to hide a snort of laughter. "Sure. Sounds fun."

"Excellent!" Trucy turned to Phoenix. "Daddy, let's go! I'm starving!"

Phoenix laughed, and waved the children to follow him as he turned and headed towards reception. "Let's go find dinner then, shall we? You haven't eaten already, have you, Clay?"

Clay shook his head, following at Phoenix's heels with Trucy at his side. "The cafeteria hadn't opened yet when I left... and the others said we're going to a restaurant anyway."

Apollo nodded, following behind with Luke. "Yeah, I figured we'd eat dinner there, like we did last time."

"Actually, that's a good point." Luke gave the back of Trucy's head a concerned look as the group passed back into reception. "If you're performing tonight, when are _you_ going to eat, Trucy?"

Trucy giggled, looking up at Phoenix. "You haven't told them yet, Daddy!"

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "Told us what?"

Phoenix scoffed, simply smiling as he pulled open the front door. "Everyone out."

Trucy obediently skipped outside and down the stairs to the street. Clay and Luke followed, though half a beat behind. Apollo stared at Phoenix in exasperation for a moment more before exaggeratedly sighing and stomping off after his siblings.

Once Phoenix had closed and locked the front door, he headed down to join the children, slipping his key into his pocket. "Eldoon's Noodles."

The three boys stared at him blankly. "Excuse me?" Apollo asked.

Phoenix grinned. "Eldoon's Noodles." He pointed down the street, starting to walk off without waiting for the kids to follow. "Think he'll be this way today, Trucy?"

Trucy giggled, skipping behind him. "You know he always takes the same route, Daddy."

Clay leaned towards his friends as they walked behind. Raising a hand to his mouth, he whispered, "What is your dad talking about?"

Apollo shrugged.

Luke hummed in thought, a hand at his chin. "I'm guessing... this is some sort of noodle shop. A _portable_ noodle shop." He shot Phoenix a smile. "Is this 'Eldoon's Noodles' where we're getting dinner, Nick?"

"Got it in one." Phoenix shot a grin over his shoulder. "Expect nothing less from the Professor's apprentice."

Luke beamed.

"Why though?" Apollo crossed his arms, frowning at the back of Phoenix's head. "We're going to a _restaurant_. Why are we eating before we even get there?"

Trucy huffed, shooting her eldest brother a glare. " _I_ can't eat when we get there!"

Phoenix nodded. "Also, it's cheaper to eat at Eldoon's than the Wonder Bar. We can get drinks once we're there, though. Eldoon's only does noodles."

Apollo supposed he could accept that. "Okay then, why didn't you mention this last week? And does the manager mind us taking up a table if we don't buy much?"

"Last week, we met at the Wonder Bar, so it just didn't come up." Phoenix shot the teen a smile. "And you let _me_ worry about the manager, Apollo."

Clay hid a snort, leaning in close to Apollo. "Your dad's _devious_."

Phoenix grinned. "A good lawyer always is."

 

Apollo paid attention to their path from home: Two left turns right out the door took them past the thrift store from that morning, but, instead of stopping there, Phoenix led them on to the main road ahead, where the small shopping centre they had also visited was. As they approached the corner alongside the large building, they spotted a wooden pull-cart emerging ahead, under the control of an old man in white. On the man's head was what looked like an upside-down bowl, crimson with a white design along the edge, and stringy yellow hair falling in curtains from underneath. The cart boasted a string of red flags under the eaves of its battered black roof, spelling out the word 'NOODLE' in red and white, the same design and pattern as the bowl-hat. Man and cart paused at the side of the road, looking up and down for passing traffic.

Trucy gasped, running ahead and waving madly. "Mister Eldoon! Mister Eldoon!"

The man looked up, recognising the girl with a smile. "Is that young Trucy?" Chuckling under his breath, he wriggled out from underneath the metal pull-bar, and pushed his cart back and away from the road. "Was wonderin' when I'd run into you tonight."

Trucy giggled, bouncing after the man as he circled behind the cart and out of everyone else's view. "I brought my brothers, too! And their friend!"

"Is that so?"

Apollo shot a wary look at Luke and Clay, but was disappointed to find he was the only one with doubts: While Clay merely looked curious, Luke shared at least some of Trucy's excitement.

Phoenix led the three boys to the street corner and around the cart. "Now that everything's official, the boys wanted to see their sister performing again. We're showing her off to Clay here while we're at it."

Clay laughed. "Yep, that's why I'm here!"

Around this side of the pull-cart, Apollo noticed a shelf jutting out over the metal frame that held the wheels, below wooden window shades that slid aside to reveal the cart owner. He grinned at the boys, his hands parting another string of red flags above him - these ones reading 'ELDOON's', with 'N's' squeezed into the last of the six. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all." Now Apollo had a closer look at the man, he realised the noodle-like hair spilling out from under the bowl on his head was actually fake; Wisps of white natural hair stuck out in curls underneath the man's ears, below a thick pair of blue glasses. "Trucy here wouldn't stop talking about her new brothers last week."

Trucy grinned at said boys with no small amount of pride.

Luke stepped forward, tipping his cap. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mister Eldoon. My name's Luke."

"Ah, Luke, the doctor who wrote the third gospel." Eldoon leaned forward on his elbows, turning his eyes to Clay. "And you're the friend, aren't you?"

The teen nodded with a grin. "Clay. After hearing Luke and 'Pollo raving about this show, I kinda _had_ to see it, y'know?"

Apollo blushed, looking away. "We weren't _raving_..."

Luke snickered. "We were."

"Clay, the salt of the earth, a 'potter' by another name." Eldoon chuckled, then turned to Apollo. "So your name is 'Pollo', I take it?"

"Apollo, yes." The teen ran a hand through his hair. "Um, nice to meet you, sir."

Eldoon sighed. "Ah, Apollo... Greek god of music, truth and the sun itself. Among other things, of course."

Phoenix patted Apollo's shoulder. "Mister Eldoon here has a thing for names."

The old man nodded sagely. "Etymology is my fourth love... after noodles, my wife, and my son." He shot the young girl a smirk. "Little Trucy here threw me for a right loop when _she_ introduced herself."

Trucy grinned. "No-one has a name like mine!"

Eldoon chuckled as he disappeared into his cart, the clatter of metal pots betraying his actions. It took Apollo a moment to remember they were here for _food_ , not chatter.

"Speaking of sons, how _is_ Guy?" Phoenix leaned casually against the 'bar' the shelf outside the window provided. "Haven't seen him in almost a year now."

Eldoon's sigh echoed from inside the cart. "Ah, he's in one of his moods. 'I'm too good to run a noodle stand, Pops. I'm saving lives out here'!" He weakly laughed, emerging in the window again with a small pile of red bowls, all carrying the same red-and-white pattern as the flags and Eldoon's own bowl-hat. "I'm awful proud of him, but it's heart-breaking to think a tradition of fourteen generations will die with me, y'know?" He counted the empty bowls as he separated them on the counter. "Five for five people, Mister Wright?"

Phoenix nodded. "Yes indeed."

"Good, good." He smiled and disappeared back into his cart. "Don't forget you're paying for four of them. Only _one_ free bowl a week."

"Oh, that's a nice policy," Luke said.

Phoenix laughed.

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/162507312114/tumblr_osgotrh9Yj1uwes7q)


	42. Your Reputation Precedes You

October 6, 10:58AM  
People Park

 

Phoenix could barely keep his hands off his beanie as they ventured closer to the park that day. He'd regretted it from the moment the promise left his lips, telling his children he would go ahead with meeting this former foster family of Apollo's and Luke's. Trucy was very excited about it, as she always was about meeting new people, and the two boys were looking forward to seeing old friends again. Phoenix knew Apollo had been trying to reassure him with the knowledge they knew who they were meeting, but he couldn't help only finding himself even more wary. With the lone exception of Lauren Order, no stranger who had ever recognised Phoenix post-disbarment had been very friendly... and he was reasonably sure the only reason Lauren _was_ was because it had been Edgeworth who opened up communication with her first, only bringing Phoenix into the conversation afterwards. More recently, even Apollo and Clay had befriended Luke before ever meeting the ex-lawyer, and, as much of a loyal fan as Apollo clearly was, Luke's existing relationship with Phoenix would have softened any negative opinions still swirling around from the chaos back in April.

Apollo was in the lead of their little family group, head moving back and forth as he scanned the area around the gate. "I can't see them."

"They're probably at the play equipment, like we told them." Luke pointed down the path. "And we're a little early, anyway. They might not even be here yet."

"Well, I hope they get here soon." Trucy bounced at Apollo's side, her gloved hand clinging to his as she did her best to imitate his searching gaze from much closer to the ground. Exactly as she'd promised yesterday, she'd dressed up that morning in her little magician's outfit, determined to show off a few of her simpler tricks for the visiting Bonney family. "I want to meet them already!"

Phoenix adjusted his hat again, staying carefully quiet at the back of the group.

Apollo led his siblings and father down the path towards the play equipment. Being a cold Sunday morning, it wasn't all that crowded, which allayed Phoenix's fears... though not by much. _(At least if they react badly, there won't be much of an audience...)_ Despite the fact he had no idea what he was looking for, his eyes constantly scanned the people around them, in a vain hope he would be the first to spot them... and maybe steer the kids away with the claim they'd missed meeting their friends. _(Don't be ridiculous, Phoenix. They wouldn't need to be super lie-detectors to see right through that. Just face this and get it over with...)_

"There they are!"

At Luke's shout, the three children were off like a shot towards the play equipment. Phoenix froze, a part of him still seriously considering running home, but his promise to his children kept his feet nailed in place. He stood and watched as the trio approached a young woman standing by the fence, and their conversation with her was quickly joined by a middle-aged couple. The six of them all together looked very excited, especially the younger four... but Phoenix still couldn't make himself approach. Seeing his kids' heads start to glance in his direction, he awkwardly turned and rocked on his heels, pretending for all he was worth that he was simply an unrelated stranger passing the time waiting for someone. He wasn't going to abandon his children, but actually joining them was impossible for now.

_(This is strangely reminding me of that class trial when I was a kid... except now it's the whole world instead of just a classroom, and people scream 'forger' at me instead of 'thief'. Also, it's not Larry's fault for once, just mine.)_

Phoenix bit his lip and tried to think of something else.

After a few minutes of conversation, Luke and Trucy split off from the group, running into the playground. Glad for the distraction, Phoenix turned to watch, and noticed them heading straight for a small boy sitting in the sandpit. The child (presumably the Bonneys' foster kid) greeted Luke enthusiastically, and giggled at Trucy's over-the-top greetings, her skills as a perfect young show-woman coming to the forefront. In barely a moment, she already had a deck of cards in one gloved hand, ready to show off a few tricks for her captive audience of one.

Phoenix sighed in relief. If he'd learned anything in the past six months, it was that kids were much kinder than adults... especially when it came to Phoenix's case. Something like accusations of forgery in a courtroom just went over their heads, and they never cared about it as much as their parents might. Luke and Trucy would be just fine where they were, so he left them to have fun and returned his attention to Apollo.

The three elder Bonneys were leaning against the metal fence that surrounded the play equipment, half-watching the children in the sandpit and half-talking to Apollo, who stood next to them with a smile. They all looked very relaxed, the younger pair in particular laughing and joking with each other... though Phoenix spotted what looked like creases of discomfort around Apollo's eyes. Instantly, a string of possibilities for _why_ popped into Phoenix's head; Most of them he immediately dismissed as ridiculous, but the concern for his eldest son was enough to finally break through the barrier of fear keeping Phoenix stood as far away as he was. Taking a deep breath, Phoenix adjusted his beanie once more and forced his feet to head towards the group, one step at a time.

Apollo looked up from the conversation, and his face broke into a wide grin. "Dad!" The Bonneys turned at his shout, watching Apollo break away towards the man in the hoodie. "You came!"

Phoenix froze in place, putting to use his best bluffing skills to laugh. "How could I not? You looked lonely."

"Come say hello!" Apollo grabbed Phoenix's arm, pulling his father with surprising force towards the other family.

They pulled to a stop a moment later, and Phoenix raised an eyebrow at his son, rubbing his shoulder. "You could rival your sister in the arm-tugging department..."

Apollo paused, releasing Phoenix's arm with a blush. "Sorry, Dad."

Phoenix couldn't help a chuckle at the teen, replacing his hands in the pockets at the front of his hoodie.

"Well, these are the Bonneys." Apollo gestured to the small group of adults nearby, all three watching with polite smiles. Starting with the older man, Apollo pointed to each one in turn as he named them for his father: "This is Ryder, and Willow, and this is Kerensa. They were my foster family for a while, a few years ago."

Phoenix gave them a nod, forcing his best and brightest smile. "Phoenix. It's a pleasure." He held out a hand. "The boys have told me a lot about you."

"And we've heard a lot about _you_ , Mister Wright." The man, Ryder, stepped forward to shake Phoenix's hand. "Not all of it from Apollo and Luke, unfortunately."

"Ah ha ha..." Phoenix tried not to look awkward as he pulled his hand away, hiding a spike of fear behind the laugh. "Nothing I haven't heard before..." A part of him was already panicking, making hurried plans to turn tail back to the office the moment the opportunity arose.

"Oh, not that we necessarily believe it!" The older woman, Willow, produced a much more convincing laugh in reply, though he could see the wariness in her eyes. "It's impossible to judge the truth without all the information, after all."

Phoenix nodded, his smile a sharp contrast to the hands curled into fists in his hoodie pockets. "That _is_ the whole point of the courtroom... when everyone inside it is doing the right job." He decided not to call the woman out on her body language saying the exact opposite of her words; Phoenix wasn't interested in starting a fight in public with someone his sons held in high esteem, and didn't exactly want to explain how he had become so practised at spotting people's tells - He hadn't yet shared his 'real' job with the boys, after all.

Willow's dark cheeks reddened a little as she laughed again, much less convincingly this time.

The young woman, Kerensa, scoffed, her hands on her hips. "Personally, I hesitate to trust rushed conclusions. And I _always_ give people the benefit of the doubt."

Apollo smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Always?"

" _Always_."

"Funny, Luke said different."

Kerensa stuck out her tongue at the teen. "Misunderstandings don't count."

Apollo laughed in reply.

Phoenix gave Apollo a curious look. "What's this about?"

"Eh, I guess we only told Trucy that bit." Apollo shot his father a grin. "You can ask Luke later, Dad."

Phoenix shrugged. Glancing at Kerensa, he reasoned that the young woman was exactly the big-sister-type Apollo and Luke had so boasted about that morning. She gave off a cheerful vibe, joking around with Apollo, and didn't seem to be hiding anything like her mother was. Phoenix decided at least _she_ was trustworthy.

"Y'know, it was a bit of a shock to us, all of this," Ryder mused, scratching his chin. "After three years, we finally reconnected with Apollo, and he seemed happy with just his school friends as family... then, only a week or two later, we hear out of the blue he's being adopted by someone he just met." He chuckled, and gave Phoenix a small bow. "I hope you'll forgive us for wanting to see for ourselves he was safe and happy, given the circumstances."

Although a little surprised, Phoenix managed a small smile; Much like his daughter, Ryder seemed the trustworthy type, too. "Oh, nothing to forgive. I can certainly understand feeling that... I was pretty frantic with worry myself, trying to find Luke after what happened to his parents." Phoenix scratched his cheek with a wry frown. "Good thing I've been through all this rigmarole before, or I might _never_ have found him..."

Apollo shoved his hands in his pants pockets, hiding a giggle. "Nah, you would've just had to send the adoption request without asking Luke first."

"True." Phoenix couldn't resist a smile as he moved to ruffle the teen's hair. "Might not have found _you_ , though. Wouldn't that be a shame?"

Apollo blushed crimson as he feebly waved his father away. " _Daaaad_..." Once he'd removed Phoenix's hand from his precious spikes, he shot his father a smirk. "You just like having me around because I'm the only one who'll talk about your cases with you."

"Exactly." Phoenix grinned. "We have so much in common."

Willow softly laughed, nearly hiding a relieved sigh. "Well, I _am_ glad to at least see how much the four of you care for each other. A loving environment is the most important thing for growing children, after all." She held a hand to her chest. "And after the way little Trucy made us promise to be nice to you, they clearly have that."

"Not that we weren't planning on doing that already, of course," Ryder hurriedly added.

Phoenix blinked, looking between the two. "She...?" He looked to Apollo, noticing the way his son was suddenly avoiding eye contact, scratching the top of his head in a way that flattened his distinctive spikes. "Did Trucy do that?"

Apollo reluctantly nodded. "A-after you didn't join us, Trucy kinda mentioned... _why_ we're not allowed to answer the office phone."

Phoenix paled. After a moment, he looked away, trying to hide a fearful look. "She wasn't supposed to know about that..." But he knew how observant Trucy was, and how much that trait ran in her family. He could only scold himself for believing for even a moment that she honestly didn't know about any of the abuse or ridicule Phoenix had faced in the aftermath of the disbarment, especially any he'd received over that very phone on the office table. He'd fought so hard to be strong for her as he struggled to accept his new life as her father... It was inevitable she'd seen through his cracks at some point.

"And then Luke remembered how you'd told him you had to wear a disguise to stop people from recognising you..." Apollo lowered his hand from his head, holding it in a fist by his chest as he watched his father with a worried look. "And, y'know... Suddenly it made an awful lot of sense. Why you're so jumpy around strangers."

Phoenix didn't speak for a long moment, still staring into the distance. " _You're_ not supposed to be the ones worrying about _me_. That's not why I adopted you."

Kerensa scoffed. "Maybe not, but that's how it's turned out. You're going through a tough time." She gestured to the older couple next to her. "I'd worry about _my_ mom and dad if they were having trouble."

Phoenix looked up, watching the three Bonneys.

Ryder shrugged. "Kids are more perceptive than anyone gives them credit for... especially once they're as old as yours. Best thing to do is just not hide it."

"Yeah!" Apollo turned to his father with a smile. "We want to help, Dad. So, you'll let us help, right? With your 'secret investigation'?"

Phoenix narrowed his eyes at the teen. "Trucy told you about that, huh?"

Apollo blushed, keeping his lips firmly closed.

Phoenix smirked, and tapped his son's arm. "Don't push your luck. Luke first, _then_ me."

"R-right..." Apollo ran a hand through his hair, making his spikes bounce above his grinning face.

"Oh yeah, Luke mentioned you all went out looking for his parents yesterday!" Kerensa clapped her hands, fixing the two Wrights with a grin. "How'd it go? Did you find anything?"

Phoenix watched as Apollo happily recounted the previous day's adventure, content to let the teen take the spotlight. Now the initial terror of meeting the Bonneys was over, he took advantage of the quiet moment to re-orient himself and simply observe the three as they listened to Apollo. Kerensa had been very forward in her acceptance of Phoenix, which he suspected was more for Apollo than for him; As the teen's former foster sister, it was understandable she cared more for Apollo than his new father, and Phoenix didn't mind so much what the reason was as long as she was willing to give him a chance. Ryder was a lot calmer and polite, in contrast to his daughter; Very matter-of-fact about Phoenix's troubled reputation and willing to treat the man in person with a blank slate anyway. As for his wife Willow, it was clear she was still wary of Phoenix, but she was making the effort to be polite... whether it was for her family's sake or just because she believed he deserved it, Phoenix didn't know. He didn't have any proof, but instinct told him her reasons - just like Kerensa's, and probably Ryder's too - ultimately traced back to Apollo. The teen had been such a fan of his from the start, Phoenix mused it shouldn't be much of a surprise he would manage to talk around a group of complete strangers into putting aside the scandal to judge Phoenix for themselves.

 _(And I was panicking so badly about this, I never even noticed the kids -_ my _kids - paving the safe path ahead for me to tread. I guess that promise of trust, of providing a safe home, goes both ways.)_ He returned his gaze to his eldest son with a warm smile. _(Never underestimate a Wright. No matter how long they've been one.)_

 

[View the Court Record/Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/164481324704/tumblr_ov35zbmtNm1uwes7q)


	43. Early Morning Goodbyes

October 7, 6:30AM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Luke and Apollo's Room

 

The end of the weekend came far too quickly for Luke's liking. It felt like he and Apollo had only just settled in, and already they were preparing to return to Turner's for another week of school.

At six-thirty sharp, with the sky still dark, Phoenix came knocking at their door. "Okay boys, time to get up. You've got school."

Apollo groaned loudly, pulling his covers over his head. "Five more minutes..."

"Take as much time as you like, but you're leaving in an hour whether or not you're ready," came Phoenix's reply through the wood. "You're fifteen years old, Apollo. You should be grown up enough to get ready without my help."

Apollo just groaned louder.

Luke rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he sat up, kicking back his blankets. "We'll be down in a bit, Nick." He paused only to stretch, then hopped to his feet, awake in an instant. "C'mon, Apollo." He ran to the doorway, flipping on the room light. From the other side of the door, he could hear Phoenix's footsteps disappearing downstairs.

Still mumbling in protest, Apollo slowly extricated himself from his cocoon. "The sun's not even up yet..."

"We knew we'd be getting up early today." Luke was already pulling his school uniform from his drawers, as quickly as he could with only one working arm. "It's the trade-off for staying at Turner's. We both agreed to it."

Apollo pulled himself up into a sitting position, one blanket still draped over his shoulders and his eyes squeezed half-shut in the artificial light. He sat for a few moments, rubbing at his eyes and blinking before he finally adjusted to the brightness. "I keep forgetting to tell Dad about our Chords of Steel. That always gets me up in the morning."

Luke giggled, pressing his bundle of clothes to his chest. "A splash of cold water is enough for me. But I can run and tell Nick about the Chords of Steel stuff right now, if you want."

"Nah." Reluctantly, Apollo dragged himself off the bed. "Just my luck to be stuck with a morning person, huh?" He shot his brother a small smile before rising up on his tiptoes and pulling his arms towards the ceiling in a full-body stretch. "Who needs an alarm clock?"

"And _I'm_ stuck with a night-owl. Who needs sleep?" Luke grinned just long enough to catch Apollo's responding eye-roll before dashing to the door. "I'll be five minutes."

"I don't know why you're in such a hurry," Apollo called, sitting down on his mattress. "You're not the one who's leaving in an hour."

Luke had pulled open the door before he registered his brother's words, and turned back with a smile. "Well, _one_ of us had to be awake. How else were you ever going to be ready in time?"

He made sure he was out of the room before Apollo's pillow could hit its mark.

 

As well as being the first school day since their adoption, today was special to Luke for another reason: It was the day the cast on his arm was due to come off. Yesterday had marked six weeks since the crash, and every visit to the doctors since had assured him he was on track to have his arm back to normal in exactly that time. All his appointments since starting at school had been under the care of Nanny Kay, standing in as his guardian, but that role was now superseded by Phoenix as Luke's new parent. While Apollo was heading back to school that morning, Phoenix and Luke would be going instead to the doctor, only afterwards continuing on to Turner's. It would, hopefully, be the final time Luke's Monday classes were put aside like this... and he couldn't help feeling apprehensive about it. On the one hand, he was sick to death of having to juggle everything with only one hand, and of struggling to even pull his clothes on around the thick plaster cast... but on the other hand, it had been _six weeks_. Six weeks since his Mum and Dad vanished without a trace, six weeks since his life was thrown into a blender and mangled into some new, twisted version of 'normal'. He could learn to live with the pieces, Luke knew that without a doubt; He just hated how _easy_ it was.

Although she had another entire hour before she also had to leave for school, Trucy emerged from her room not long after her brothers. Still clad in her winter pyjamas and her hair sticking out in wisps every which way, she trudged down the stairs behind them and sat with Apollo and Luke at the table, shooting glares at them over her cereal.

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "You not a morning person either?"

Trucy continued to glare, not breaking eye contact with Apollo even as she guided her spoon into her mouth.

"You're not usually awake this early, Trucy," Phoenix pointed out from the kitchen. "The sun's still coming up."

Apollo sighed, dropping his hand to the table (and dinging his spoon against his bowl). "Oh, I see. You got up so early specifically to sulk at us because we're going back to school."

Trucy's eyes widened and she hurriedly looked away, instead deciding to frown at her cereal.

Luke suspected they'd hit the nail on the head. He put down his spoon for a moment, watching his sister. "Trucy, look at how early we have to get up to go to school. And remember how late we got home on Friday? This isn't a trip we can take twice every day. We _have_ to go away for the entire week."

Trucy twirled her spoon in her bowl, staring at the swirling flakes inside. "You could stay home."

Apollo rolled his eyes, speaking only between mouthfuls. "We can't just _skip_ school, Truce, for the same reason _you_ can't."

Trucy looked up with a confused frown, eyes wide with the signs of a forming idea.

"I hope you're not about to suggest you skip school, Trucy." Phoenix gave her a warning look. "School is mandatory. Aside from all the useful things you can learn there, it's the law that you have to go until you're eighteen."

Pouting, Trucy returned her glare to her cereal. "So I won't see you guys again until next weekend?"

Luke and Apollo shared a guilty look. "M-maybe," Luke mumbled.

Trucy slowly lifted her eyes to meet Luke's, brows pressed tight together. " _Maybe_?"

"It depends," Apollo said, remarkably calm for the conversation in Luke's opinion. "We promised our friend Clay we wouldn't leave him _every_ weekend. We might come home next Friday, we might not. We'll see."

Trucy glared at their elder brother for a long moment before sighing and returning her attention to her food.  
  
Eventually it came time for Apollo to leave, and the teen collected together his things in his small backpack, his bracelet firmly attached to his wrist. He waved to his siblings as he passed them at the table. "See ya later, Luke. Bye, Trucy."

Luke waved back. "See you at school!"

Trucy slipped off her chair and ran to meet Apollo, throwing her arms in a tight grip around his waist. "Promise you'll come back?"

Apollo paused, wide eyes watching the top of the girl's head where it was pressed to his belly. "Huh? Of _course_ I'm..." He closed his mouth with a frown, thought deeply for a second or two, then gripped the girl's shoulders and pushed her away, leaning down to look her face-to-face. "Trucy, we're family now. _Real_ family. I might not be around all the time, but I will _never_ abandon you." He gave her a warm grin. "Because that's not what real family does."

Trucy stared for a moment, her expression held tight with worry... then slowly relaxed into a small smile. "Good." She took advantage of her brother's posture to throw her arms around his neck, and Apollo chuckled as he hugged her in return.

Phoenix looked on from the door through to the office. It was clear from the look on his face that he found the scene as heart-warming as Luke did. "And that goes for me and Luke, too." He stepped forward, tapping the girl's shoulder to separate the pair. "But right now, Apollo needs to go, or he'll miss his bus."

Trucy nodded, then dashed away from Apollo to rejoin Luke at the table. Instead of going for her own seat, she ran straight for the younger of her brothers, launching herself into Luke's lap and clinging to his chest. The boy could only hold the pyjama'd girl steady as he watched their father and brother head out, their voices echoing out the door.

"Do you have everything you need for the week? Clothes, homework...?"

"I'm fine, Dad. I've got everything."

"How about the buses you're taking? If it weren't for Trucy and Luke, I'd go with you to make sure-"

"I know the route, Dad. I won't get lost."

"Well, at the very least I need to give you my cell number, so you can call if something goes wrong."

"I already have your number, Dad. You gave it to me last night, remember?"

Luke smiled as the sound of Phoenix's fussing disappeared behind the slam of the front door. It reminded him a little of his own parents, back before they left Misthallery; Both had stepped back quite significantly once he was regularly travelling with Professor Layton, after their move to London. _(I guess that just proves we really are in good hands with Nick... and that's not so bad.)_

Trucy leaned back with a sniff, not seeming to notice her position in Luke's lap very nearly equalled their height for once. "That _does_ go for you too, right?"

Luke frowned, confused. "Huh?" It took him a moment to connect the dots. "Oh, you mean everything Apollo was saying about family?"

Trucy nodded, staring at Luke with solemn eyes.

This was clearly a question which required serious thought, so Luke paused to contemplate his answer. As permanent as 'adoption' was, both he and Trucy were only in Phoenix's care because of the inherently temporary situation of their missing birth parents... or, at least, they _hoped_ it was temporary. Trucy, Luke reflected, seemed to have accepted she was in for a long wait in the months since becoming a Wright, and had settled in to a new norm in the meantime. Even after their fruitless investigation on Saturday, Luke didn't want to give up hope for the elder Tritons just yet, as openly as he was prepared to admit the search was going to be a lengthy one. However, even if Clark and Brenda appeared out of the blue that very day... Well, it wasn't hard for Luke to make a decision there. He looked Trucy in the eyes, giving her a bright smile. "As long as you want me, I will be very proud to be your big brother, Trucy. No matter how far away I might go, I'll always come back when you need me to."

Trucy grinned, then leaned in again for a tight hug.

Luke couldn't help a laugh, hugging her back with his one available arm. "I'm just sorry for not saying so earlier. I suppose I thought this kind of stuff was so obvious, it didn't need to be said."

Trucy giggled. "I'm glad you did anyway."


	44. Along the Roads Life Drags You

October 7, 8:30AM  
Wright Talent Agency

 

An hour after Apollo had gone, it was time for his siblings to also leave. Trucy had, by now, finally changed into her school uniform, her bag bouncing on her back as she skipped down the stairs onto the street. Following at her back, Luke patted his satchel with his free hand, content he was carrying everything he would need over the week. He had decided to spend most of the past hour with his younger sister, after being made so acutely aware of how much she was going to miss her new brothers while they were at school... and that he would miss her in return. He'd only known her a short time, but Luke was already very attached to the girl, and he suspected Apollo felt the same way.

Phoenix closed and locked the agency's front door behind them, following the pair down to the street. "Here we go, all ready for another day of school."

Luke grinned, waiting on the pavement. "Ready and excited!"

Trucy gagged and stuck out her tongue.

Phoenix laughed and waved them down the street. "Come on then, let's get going."

As they began to walk, Luke patted his sister's shoulder sympathetically. "It's not that bad, Trucy. School's fun! You get to learn all sorts of things!"

"It's _boring_ ," Trucy grumbled. "You have to sit at a desk all day listening to the teacher, or writing stuff down, and there's never anything _fun_ to do."

Luke bit his lip. He'd only been at school for a month, and he couldn't pretend there wasn't some amount of truth in Trucy's complaints. _(I suppose I was just spoiled before. Lessons were always fun with Mum and Dad, and the Professor...)_ He shrugged. "Well, I suppose that does depend on the teacher. If they can't find a way to make learning something fun, it can make the class a chore for everyone."

Trucy frowned, deep in thought. "I guess." After a pause, she grinned and grabbed Luke's arm, dragging him down the road. "C'mon, I'll show you the way to my school!"

 

Half an hour later, Trucy was leading Luke towards a sprawling building nestled at the end of the road. Buses drove in and out through the roundabout at the entrance, as did a constant stream of cars... at least, those that weren't already lined up in the few parking spaces along the sides of the traffic. Just as with the road, the footpath was also full of movement, a crowd of people pulsating around the gate as parents took their children in, bid them goodbye, and left again, the children disappearing into the playground beyond.

"Here we are," Phoenix announced. "Summer Boulevard Elementary."

Luke studied the crowd around them. "It's very busy... Much more than Turner's ever is."

"It's a bigger school," Phoenix explained with a shrug.

Trucy grinned and tugged on Luke's arm. "C'mon, I wanna show you to my friends!" Without waiting for Phoenix to follow, she promptly resumed her dragging of her brother through the mass of people.

Luke made no effort to fight his sister's guidance, though he did find himself calling out apologies to all the people she pushed past and bumped into in their haphazard journey towards the school gate. As they ducked and weaved past bodies both big and small, Trucy would pause to point and shout in the direction of another child her age, only to quickly move on the moment the words were out of her mouth.

"Luke, that's Sophia! She was the one who told us all about your car accident!"

"Oh, there's Jacob! He's in my class too!"

"That's Mason over there. He thought I was lying about you and Polly. We sure showed him!"

"Isabella! I brought my brother today!"

As they reached the gate, Luke noticed the crowd beginning to thin, children congregating on the small playground while their parents began to leave. Trucy stood to one side, still gripping Luke's uninjured arm tight, and continued to wave down any of her passing classmates to show off the teenage boy at her side.

"This is Luke, one of my new brothers! See? I _told_ you I wasn't lying!"

Luke usually waved and gave the child in question a polite "Hello!", but they all hurried inside rather than stay and chat. He resigned himself to simply be pleased to get a returned wave or a quiet "Hi," before they left.

A distant bell rang inside the school building, and the last remnants of the crowds began to separate, the children heading inside with their teachers while the remaining parents finally left. Phoenix had caught up to his kids while Luke wasn't looking, and gave Trucy a _look_. "Class is about to start. You'd better say your goodbyes and head in."

Trucy's face scrunched up, the girl biting her lower lip. "But..." She blinked rapidly, then sniffed and wiped her eyes with the hand that wasn't still clinging to Luke's arm.

Luke couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. He patted her shoulder, leaning down a little to better match her height. "We both have school to get to right now. You'll see me again, Trucy. Promise."

Reluctantly, Trucy nodded and let her hand fall from her brother's arm. Gaze on the pavement below her feet, she trudged over to give Phoenix a hug. "See you later, Daddy."

Phoenix hugged her back. "I'll be right here to pick you up."

Trucy nodded again, then returned to stand in front of Luke. After a pause, she threw herself at the boy, arms wrapped tight around his middle. "Even if you don't come back next weekend... you'll be back home the weekend after, right?"

Luke smiled and hugged her back. "Promise."

After a pause, Trucy stepped away to give her brother a grateful grin. Finally, she ran off to class.

 

Phoenix didn't waste any time taking Luke to his next destination, the hospital. Getting the thick cast off his arm required the use of a small, noisy saw, and Luke couldn't help feeling a bit intimidated as he felt the vibration echoing through his skeleton, the buzz of the saw's work ringing in his ears. Pulling together all his training as a gentleman, he was able to keep himself outwardly calm during the process, focussing instead on how much of a relief it would be to not only move his left arm freely once more, but to be able to bathe and itch it whenever he wanted. Funnily enough, Phoenix found it a lot harder to stay calm, face covered with cold sweat as he clutched Luke's right hand in a death-grip, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "objection" under his breath; No-one was more relieved than him when the remains of the plaster cast were finally pried from Luke's arm.

After one final x-ray to ensure the bones were fully healed, Luke was dismissed from the hospital with a clean bill of health. The last physical reminder of the car crash of Forest Road was gone.

 

The sun was high in the sky as Phoenix and Luke finally arrived at Turner Boarding School, walking together down the footpath towards the front gate. Luke was still experimentally stretching his left arm, enjoying the feeling of freedom it had been denied for so long.

"Remember what the doctor said about taking it easy for a while," Phoenix reminded him.

"I know, Nick. I'll be careful."

"Just in case Apollo forgets, did you want me to write down your route back home? And I should give you my cell number too, in case you get separated somehow."

"I still have your number from before, and I don't think Apollo's going to lose track of me. I can ask him for the route home myself if you really want us to write it down." Luke gave the man a grin. "You know, you've been awfully worried about me and Apollo all morning, Nick. Were you like this with Trucy when you first adopted her?"

Phoenix blushed, running a hand over his beanie. "I-I'm not _worried_ , just... _concerned_." He sighed, looking away. "You two boys are under my care now, so I have to make sure I look after you like a parent. Like a _dad_. And that's going to be extra hard with you both away so much."

Luke nodded. He could certainly sympathise with that thought. "Well, I think you've been doing a great job so far. You're very good at looking after people."

Phoenix met the boy's eyes with a small smile. "Thank you." He thought a moment, then chuckled. "I suppose I've had a lot of practise by now. Maya was a real handful, trying to get herself killed all the time. She even succeeded once or twice."

Luke tried and failed to hold in a laugh. "Once was more than enough."

Finally the pair arrived at the gate, and stood silently in front of the metal bars. On the other side, the empty courtyard stretched out in the expanse between them and the two school buildings. It wasn't quite midday yet, so it would be a while before anyone else was around to disturb the thick sense of peaceful quiet hanging in the air.

Phoenix took a deep breath and released it slowly. "So. I guess this is it for two weeks. You and Apollo have fun with your friend in the meantime. Clay, wasn't it?"

Luke nodded, shuffling from foot to foot. He'd been so worried about how much Trucy was going to miss them, he hadn't realised until now just how much _Phoenix_ would. A part of him wondered if this was the real reason their adoptive father had been so concerned about his sons that morning... while another part of him was already considering how best to solve the problem. After all, Luke had always prided himself on both his puzzle-solving abilities and his gentlemanly manners. After a moment or two, he looked up at Phoenix and smiled. "Naturally, Apollo and I are going to miss you and Trucy awfully, so we'll want to call home every few days. Should we dial the office number, or your mobile?"

Phoenix paused, looking down at Luke with wide eyes. It took a second for the boy's words to sink in, and finally he gave Luke a warm smile. Although his tone was casual, his voice came out a little strained: "Oh, my cellphone would be best. It's always on me, after all... and I'm not always in the office."

"Okay." Luke grinned. "We'll talk to you soon, then."

Phoenix bit his lip and nodded... then abruptly pulled Luke into a hug. "What did I do... to deserve the pleasure of raising such a gentleman? Even if it's not going to be for long."

Luke was a little surprised, but wrapped his arms around Phoenix anyway. "No matter what happens now, we'll always be family after this, Nick, no matter how far apart we are. Not just you and me, but Apollo and Trucy too."

Phoenix chuckled. "Glad to hear it." He gave Luke one final squeeze before releasing the boy. "You should get to class. It wouldn't be very 'responsible-parent' of me to make you miss too much school."

"Oh, right." Luke giggled, then dashed to the small speaker-box by the gate and jabbed a finger from his newly-freed left arm on the button. "Mister Thrume? This is Luke Triton; I'm back from the hospital!"

There was a short pause, then the box crackled to life. "Yeah yeah, the kid with the broken arm. Nancy was just in here reminding me about you. Well, you'd better come in then."

The moment he heard the buzzing of the lock, Luke leapt forward to push the metal gate open. He called "Thank you!" out of habit, forgetting that the receptionist couldn't hear him unless the button was being pushed. The gate nearly slipped out of his hand as he rushed past, but Luke paused and caught it again, looking back at Phoenix with a wide grin. "I'll see you in two weeks, Nick! Talk to you soon!"

Phoenix nodded and smiled. "Talk to you soon, Luke."

Luke giggled one final time, then let the gate close behind him as he ran off to his dorm room.

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/164556891534/tumblr_ov6uucissZ1uwes7q)


	45. Old Stories and Strange Encounters

October 12, 12:24PM  
Cosmos Space Center  
Entrance

 

It had now been a week since Luke and Apollo had moved in to the Wright family's small apartment, and, all in all, Luke was surprised by both how little and how much had changed. For one thing, there was the fact that Luke's arm happened to have healed and had its cast removed on the same weekend. It was a little strange getting used to having both arms again, and his left arm was still a little weak from being forcibly held still for so long, but it was the easiest of the changes for Luke to adjust to.

Thanks to Luke's absence the first day back, it was Apollo and Clay who had had to explain the new situation to most of their teachers. Whether or not they'd been aware of the adoption beforehand, once they heard of the elder brother's change of surname, they all invariably changed Luke's to match. This Luke didn't mind so much, a fact he made sure to stress to his embarrassed brother and friend: It was complicated to explain the reasons why he had kept 'Triton' when Apollo hadn't kept 'Justice', and, though he kept it to himself for now, he actually quite liked the idea of trying out 'Wright' on a non-permanent basis. After how long he'd spent debating over which to use, he felt like this was an acceptable middle-ground... even if it would only last as long as it took for the teachers' class rosters to be reprinted with 'Apollo Wright' and 'Luke Triton'.

Even though Apollo and Luke had a new home at the Wright Talent Agency, the fact remained that they had only spent two days there total so far. After that first wild weekend settling in with Trucy, they were now back at school with only their uniforms and school-work. Along with his missing cast, it was strange for Luke to get used to not having his three large suitcases in his dorm room, or his regular clothes to change into. In contrast, very little was different for Apollo. In fact, his new bag was pretty much the lone change; Apollo had even kept his bracelet on him to put back on his wrist as usual the moment school ended for the day.

All in all, school was almost frustratingly normal. The week passed like nothing had happened, which was perfectly reasonable to expect, but Luke and Apollo found it a bit disorientating after such a large change in their lives.

Five days of classes came and went and the time arrived for the two boys to honour their promise to Clay and spend the next weekend with him at school. Clay celebrated by doing what was surely, to him, the best possible use of their time together: A trip to Cosmos Space Center.

 

"Congratulations on the adoption, you two," Starbuck told the two Wrights as they arrived.

Apollo and Luke gave each other a surprised look. "You know about that?" Apollo asked.

Starbuck laughed and gestured to Clay. "A little birdie told me."

Clay scoffed and shrugged. "I didn't have anything _else_ to do while you guys were away last weekend."

The woman at the desk - Ms Racer the receptionist - gave them a wave. "Congrats from me, too. I'm pretty sure everyone in the centre has heard by now."

Apollo puffed out his chest, resting his hands on his hips with a proud grin. "Well, thank you. Not that it matters, but for future reference, we're Apollo and Luke _Wright_ now."

Clay immediately snickered. "We know who you are 'right now', 'Pollo. What's your new surname?"

Apollo shot his friend a glare.

Luke hid giggles. He was just as amused by the fact that Apollo was still so happy about the adoption after weeks of nonstop talking about it as he was by Clay's teasings. Regardless, he gave Starbuck and Racer a polite smile. "Thank you for the kind words. It _does_ mean a lot to us both."

Clay laughed, avoiding Apollo's glares to throw himself between his friends, his arms dangling over their shoulders. "So, in future, me and the Wright brothers will be spending a lot more time around here! Won't we?"

Luke blinked in surprise. "We're what!?"

Apollo raised an eyebrow, and waved his friend off. "We make no promises. Trucy would kill us if we didn't spend _some_ time back home with her and Dad."

"Y-yeah." Luke nodded. "We promised _her_ we'd come back just like we promised _you_. You saw how upset she was about possibly seeing so little of us..." He chuckled. "Again, just like you."

Clay pouted, but didn't argue.

Starbuck hid a snort, and waved the boys towards the elevator roundel behind him. "C'mon. Let's celebrate, shall we?"

 

It was a short trip up to the fourth floor. The small cul-de-sac formed by the circle of elevators, as always, had its lone exit towards the front of the building, though the boys could see nothing more through it than the white wall of the corridor beyond. Starbuck hesitated as he moved to leave, then turned and pointed at the trio. "You guys wait here, okay? I'll be right back with our celebration."

Clay gasped, bouncing at his mentor's side. "Whoa, what are you getting, Mister Starbuck?"

Starbuck laughed. "Just wait here. I won't be long." Shooting them a thumbs-up, he ducked out into the hallway outside and disappeared.

Huffing, Clay dropped to the floor, his back to the doorway. "But the surprise would be quicker if we went _with_ him..."

Apollo snickered, then lowered himself to the laminate at his friend's side. He patted Clay's shoulder in mock sympathy. "You'll just have to be patient for once... as hard as that is for you."

Clay shot his friend a glare.

Luke giggled, leaning against the opposite wall. He didn't particularly feel like sitting on the floor here, as clean as he was sure Ponco kept it. "Whatever it is, it was very nice of Mister Starbuck to arrange something to celebrate our adoption." He specifically looked to Apollo. "We should both remember to thank him when he gets back."

Apollo smirked. "I have basic manners, Luke. I'm not going to forget _that_."

Clay snorted, thinking to himself. After a moment, he turned his eyes upwards. "Hey Luke, it's actually kinda a shame you didn't change your name like 'Pollo did."

Luke frowned, confused. "Why?"

"Cuz it's _so easy_ to come up with good puns for it!" Clay laughed, slapping his leg. "You just need to _look_ in the _right_ places!"

Luke thought a moment, then laughed. "Oh, I didn't even notice that!"

Apollo rolled his eyes. "You can't be happy just with the 'Wright' puns?"

" _Look, Wright_ , Luke's just has the potential to be so much _extra_."

Luke pressed a hand to his mouth to hide giggles, much to his brother's dissatisfaction.

Clay winked at the elder brother. "But, if you insist, I'll make plenty of plain old 'Wright' puns too."

Apollo gave a long-suffering sigh. "Oh joy."

"You know you love it."

"I don't 'love' _any_ of your jokes." Apollo glared at his friend. "The puns are just a step up from the endless Greek mythology references you used to make."

Luke blinked at his brother, tilting his head. "Greek mythology references?"

Apollo nodded. "My name. Y'know, from the Greek god Apollo?"

"We looked it up on Wikipedia one time." Clay shrugged, grinning. "He's a lot like _our_ Apollo!"

"He is _not_." Apollo shoved his friend with a scowl. "Greek God Apollo had, like, a _million_ lovers for one thing."

Clay shot Luke a wink. "Male _and_ female."

Luke giggled. "Sounds like a busy guy."

Apollo sighed, then began to count off on his fingers. "He was the god of medicine, the sun, music, and another million things depending on where you look... none of which I particularly care about."

"But he was the god of justice, wasn't he?" Clay tapped his chin. "We made all those jokes about your old name, after all."

Apollo shrugged. "He might have been, though I think that was Athena; Apollo was more about truth and prophecy, and defending various places and people." He narrowed his eyes, and poked his friend with a glare. "And what do you mean 'we'?"

Clay grinned, waving Apollo off, and turned to Luke. "There's a cool story about Greek God Apollo and 'defending', actually: This guy with the coolest name in the world - Agamemnon - sacrificed his daughter in the Trojan War, so his wife killed him in revenge, then their son killed the mother for the same reason!"

Luke listened in interest. "Really?"

"Oh yeah, I remember that." Apollo smiled. "This Aga-memo guy kidnapped a prophetess of Apollo's after the war, and she was killed too. That's part of why Apollo ordered the son to kill the mother, and her new boyfriend, in return."

"He ordered the death of the _mother_? Not Agamemnon?" Luke screwed up his mouth in confusion. "He'd killed his own daughter! He kidnapped a prophetess! And who _knows_ what he was planning to do with her at his home when he already had a wife and children!"

Clay shrugged. "Greek myths are weird, dude."

Apollo chuckled. "But then a group of lesser gods called Furies got upset about the murders and tried to kill the son, so _he_ ran back to Apollo for help. They argued whether or not it was 'right' for the son to kill the mother, but they couldn't agree on anything. So, Apollo took the matter to Athena, the goddess of wisdom." He grinned widely. "They created the very first courtroom to settle the matter. Athena was the judge, the Furies were the prosecutors, and Apollo was the defence."

Luke's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

Clay winked. "Told you it was a cool story."

Luke turned to his brother with a smile. "That's a really fitting name for you, then: The very first defence attorney in Greek myth! Oh!" He laughed. "And he was the god of 'truth'? You always know when people are lying to you!"

Apollo blushed, running a hand through his hair. "As long as the similarities stop there... I don't plan on having an endless string of relationships, or ever ordering someone to commit murder."

Clay elbowed his friend. "Go on, how'd the story end? Who did Athena agree with?"

"I'd hope the Furies," Luke said. "As terrible was Agamemnon was for killing his daughter and bringing another woman home against her will, there were better solutions than killing him."

"Actually, Athena sided with Apollo." The teen grinned with pride on behalf of his namesake. "Call it weird ancient priorities or just Apollo being super convincing, but, once Athena made her decision, that _was_ the end of it."

Luke hummed in thought, musing on the story.

"You sure that's how it ended, 'Pollo?" Clay shot his friend a smirk. "Athena didn't side with the Furies after all?"

Apollo returned a half-lidded stare and a deadpan "I'm sure."

Clay wriggled his eyebrows with a cheeky air. "You're sure you're wrong?"

Apollo glared at Clay to hide a threatening smile, then gently whacked his friend with the back of a hand. Clay simply snorted and copied the gesture, quickly leading the pair into a light-hearted slap fight.

Luke giggled at his friends' antics. As poorly as he thought it ended, he could still appreciate the millennia-old story for what it was... although he was curious to look it up for himself to ascertain exactly how much Apollo and Clay had accurately remembered. _(Let's see... Agamemnon, Apollo, the Furies, and Athena. If I look up the key players, I'm sure to find the story where they all connect.)_ He reached into his satchel for his notebook, only to pause as he was lifting the flap; A flicker of movement behind his friends had caught Luke's attention. When he looked up, he found himself locking gazes with a curious pair of blue eyes that were peeking out around the doorway into the rest of the fourth floor.

A girl, with pale skin and bright orange hair that curled around her left shoulder from a yellow ribbon high on her scalp. She was younger than Luke, but older than Trucy, and wearing a massive pair of pink headphones that nearly obscured her head, with thick antenna sticking out the tops of the ears on either side. Of her clothes, all Luke could see was a yellow dress and long pink sleeves.

For a very long moment, the two children stared at each other in silence... then the girl gasped and ran.


	46. Kimono Women and Robot Girls

October 12, 12:39PM  
Cosmos Space Center  
Fourth Floor

 

"Wait!" His notebook forgotten, Luke dashed around his friends, headed for the corridor where the girl he saw had vanished.

Apollo jumped in surprise, watching his brother pass. "Luke?"

Clay gasped, scrambling to his feet. "Hey, we're not allowed out there without an escort!"

Luke wasn't listening, already running through the hallway of the fourth floor. He'd seen the girl disappear to the right, and got a glimpse of yellow and pink as she turned a further corner ahead. "Come back! I won't hurt you!" He pushed his feet to move faster, knowing a chase like this one wasn't exactly unusual for him, and in the meantime his mind was racing with its own questions. What was that girl doing here? He didn't think there were any other children around the Space Center, and if there actually had been this entire time, why hadn't he and his friends met her before? Either she lived here, and was exempt from the ban on exploring without an escort, or she was a visitor like them who had snuck away from her carer. No matter how small the chance it wasn't the latter, it was vital Luke stop her and ask. Just as that last thought was running through his head, Luke's feet were running around another corner, his eyes already moving to look for any sign of where the girl had gone next. All he saw was a flash of yellow and white before colliding head-first with something soft and blue, the force throwing him backward to the floor. It was a rough landing, with both Luke's head and the elbow of his recently-healed arm banging against the linoleum, and the boy hissed in pain, pressed his right hand to his head and his left arm to his chest, and half-curled into a ball.

Hurried footsteps echoed along the floor, then squeaked to a stop nearby. "Luke!" Apollo landed on his knees with a thud, pulling his brother to a sitting position. "Are you okay?"

Luke reluctantly moved his hand from his head to push against the floor, allowing him to sit up without Apollo's help. "I'm fine..." With the sharp pain of impact lessened to a dull throb, only now was Luke able to look up at what had knocked him over. To his horror, it was a _person_ , a woman to be exact, with dark hair curled on her forehead and cascading down her back from a ponytail perched high on her scalp. She seemed to tower over them from where Luke was sitting, the straight lines of fabric hanging off her body only accentuating her stern expression. To Luke's confusion, he noticed said clothing was actually a yellow kimono, complete with a blue sash around the waist, and a modified labcoat on top that sported the square sleeves associated with the traditional robes. On the woman's feet were two-toed white socks and thickly soled sandals.

"And what exactly are you three doing here?"

Apollo's hands tightened where they were gripping Luke's shoulders.

"W-we're real sorry, Doctor Cykes," came Clay's voice from behind Luke, alerting the boy to his friend's presence. "We promise this was a one-time thing, we won't do it again."

Luke pushed himself to his feet, and could hear his brother copying the action at his side. "It's my fault." Now Luke was standing, the woman - Doctor Cykes, Clay had called her - didn't look quite as tall... but still no less intimidating. "I saw a girl, and she ran away, so I was trying to catch up and talk to her. Clay and Apollo were just trying to stop me." He briefly bowed his head in apology. "I'm very sorry, ma'am."

Doctor Cykes crossed her arms, eyes narrowed at the boy. When she spoke, her voice was deceptively calm, but the undercurrent of danger was loud and clear: "If I catch you up here again, or anywhere _else_ you've been expressly forbidden without an escort, I will not hesitate to have all three of you banned from this Center, do you understand?"

The three boys all nodded. "Yes, ma'am," Luke said. "We won't break the rules again."

"See that you don't." Doctor Cykes pointed down the hall behind them, and the trio didn't hesitate in scurrying back to the elevators.

 

Luke's arm and the back of his head still ached from the fall. Since their retreat from the confrontation with Doctor Cykes, Apollo hadn't left his side, a hand constantly on the younger brother's shoulder as the elder kept a worried eye on the rest of him. Luke didn't mind so much; Truthfully, he was also a little worried about banging his head and arm like that, especially so soon after he'd badly injured both in the car crash. It was nice to have someone around so concerned for his well-being. Clay too cast worried glances in Luke's direction, but kept himself occupied more with pacing the small circle they were confined to. None of them said anything, still stinging from the verbal dressing-down Doctor Cykes had given them. In addition to the residual headache from slamming against the floor, Luke's mind also buzzed with questions: Who was that girl he saw? Did she live here? Why did she run away when Luke spotted her? What was with those massive, uncomfortable-looking headphones she was wearing? Was there some kind of connection between her and Doctor Cykes, or was he imagining it? Who was Doctor Cykes, for that matter? Presumably she worked here, but Luke had never seen or heard of her before. Clay had known who she was, but Luke had no idea if Apollo did or not. Did either of them know the girl? Was Doctor Cykes so angry at the boys because of some previous run-in, or was that just who she was as a person? The questions wouldn't stop, and Luke longed to voice them aloud... but his head hurt too much to want to break the silence just yet.

Footsteps echoed down the hall, and a tall figure in blue appeared in the doorway with a bright smile and a large box in his arms. "I'm back! Sorry for the wait, but I spent forever looking for-" Starbuck paused, his eyes flitting across the morose trio in the elevator cul-de-sac. "Are you three okay?"

Clay nervously laughed, adjusting his visor. "Ah, we just had a run-in with Doctor Cykes." He shrugged, having difficulty keeping up his smile. "L-literally."

Starbuck frowned in concern, then sighed, and adjusted the box in his hands to sling it underneath an arm. "So that's what her strange comment to me was about. You three _didn't_ wait here for me, did you."

The boys all gave each other awkward glances. Luke could see Clay and Apollo were reluctant to get their younger friend in even more trouble by telling Starbuck the story, and he was thankful for that... but he still felt immensely guilty for all the trouble his actions had caused them. He pulled away from his brother's half-hug, stepping solemnly towards Starbuck. "It was my fault. I ran out into the corridors, and Clay and Apollo followed me."

Starbuck stared for a moment, more confused than anything else. "Well... Why'd you do that? I need to be able to trust you to follow the rules, Luke, or I can't in good faith let you hang out here anymore."

Luke tried not to wince. "I-I know, and I'm really sorry, Mister Starbuck. I promise I won't do it again."

"It wasn't his fault!" To Luke's surprise, Apollo charged forward, standing protectively in front of his younger brother. His expression was firm, and his hands curled into fists at his sides. "Not entirely, anyway: He was following someone - a girl - who ran off before we got a good look at her."

Starbuck's eyes widened. "A girl?"

Clay nodded. "Yeah! I mean, me and 'Pollo didn't see her, but Luke's not a liar. There _must_ 've been a kid hanging around."

Starbuck sighed, waving his free hand to quieten the trio before pressing it to his face. "No, no... There _is_ a girl who lives on this floor. Robotics department. I can never remember which of the scientists she belongs to, exactly."

Luke gasped. This answered... what, three, four of his questions? The astronaut's mention of the robotics department was intriguing, too: "So that's why her headphones looked a bit like Ponco!"

At that, Starbuck laughed. "I don't see the resemblance, but okay." He jerked a thumb at the corridor behind him with a grin. "Apparently the kid has hearing problems or something. Doesn't get on well with strangers, so she mostly hangs around the lab. Metis and Aura are pretty protective of her."

Luke frowned in thought. If the girl was nearly deaf, that probably explained why she didn't respond to his calls to stop... and why she didn't get on with strangers well. He couldn't imagine sign language was all that widespread, especially not in a small, space-focussed community like this one. Surely there were better hearing aids available than those massive headphones though, if that was their true purpose.

"Metis and Aura?" Apollo ran a hand through his hair, eyebrows pressed together. "Who are they?"

Starbuck snorted. "You just met Metis today, remember? Yellow kimono, white labcoat?"

Apollo and Luke gasped, looking at each other with wide eyes.

"Oh yeah!" Clay snapped his fingers triumphantly. " _That's_ how I knew who she was! From when you took me in there to meet her last week!"

Apollo's gaze immediately returned to their friend, a mixture of awe and indignation on his face. "Are you saying you got to go to the _robotics lab_ last weekend?"

Clay stuck out his tongue at them. "Cool things happen when you guys run off without me. I can't control that."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "We were literally moving into our new home. Staying with you wasn't an option."

"Eh." Clay waved the comment off.

Starbuck sighed, moving the large box in his arms to hug to his chest. "Well, after what happened today, I don't think _any_ of you will be going to the lab any time soon. Metis was... really upset."

The boys all shuffled in place awkwardly, the joy of the conversation instantly drained.

"But anyway." Starbuck grinned and held up the box in his hands. "Why don't we get back to that celebration we were in the middle of?"


	47. Farewell to the Center of the Cosmos

October 12, 1:01PM  
Cosmos Space Center  
Meeting Room

 

Starbuck's box, it turned out, contained a cake.

After leading the three boys to an empty meeting room on the ground floor, the astronaut happily flipped open the lid to reveal the precious cylinder of frosting and filling inside. Across the top, messily handwritten in brown frosting, were the half-words 'Congratulat' (getting progressively smaller as it squashed up against the edge of the cake) and '-ions' in smaller text below it.

Circled around the table, the boys looked on in awe. Clay gasped. Apollo's mouth dropped open, eyes wide.

Starbuck turned almost as red as his hair and shrugged. "I'm not so good with baking, as it turns out. Had to call in a lot of favours... and still messed up the writing."

"It's _amazing_ ," Clay breathed. A second later, he jumped, startled, and turned to his friends with an embarrassed smile. "Oh, but it wasn't made for _me_ , it was made for you two."

Apollo snorted, hiding a grin. "It's still amazing."

"Especially considering it wasn't made by a professional." Luke showed Starbuck his best gentlemanly smile. "Thank you very much for this, Mister Starbuck. It's very kind of you."

"Pshaw." Starbuck didn't bother hiding how proud he was, shuffling off to the door. "Hang on a minute while I get us plates and cutlery and stuff. Bit hard to eat without those." He paused at the door to looks back at the boys. "That's, um... That's what I was looking for before. When I was away for way longer than I thought."

"S'okay, Mister Starbuck." Clay skipped to the man's side with a cheerful grin. "Need help carrying everything?"

Starbuck laughed. "Sure, I can always use an extra pair of hands." He waved for the boy to follow him and headed off into the hallway.

Left alone with his brother, Apollo laughed and pulled out a chair to sit down. "Don't tell Mister Starbuck, but I hope this cake tastes better than it looks."

Luke stayed standing. His hand drifted to his left arm, where the elbow still ached from its encounter with the floor. As grateful as he was to Starbuck for being so kind to them, he couldn't make himself fully focus on the impromptu 'party'. He felt guilty - even more so considering everyone else seemed to have let it go so easily - but the words wouldn't stop echoing in his head and the images wouldn't stop flashing in front of his eyes.

_The girl peeking around the corner gasped so quietly, but it rang loud in Luke's ears. He only got a glimpse of her terrified face before she fled._

_"I will not hesitate to have all three of you banned from this Center, do you understand?"_

_Doctor Cykes towered over them, the straight lines of her kimono accentuating her stern expression._

_"I need to be able to trust you to follow the rules Luke, or I can't in good faith let you hang out here anymore."_

_Starbuck looked like he was trying to be angry, but didn't have the heart to be anything firmer than 'disappointed', and that only hurt Luke all the more._

_"After what happened today, I don't think_ any _of you will be going to the lab any time soon."_

"Are you okay?"

Luke jumped, and looked up to see Apollo watching him with a concerned frown. He shrugged, forcing out the first words that came to mind. "I-I'm fine." He belatedly noted how easily that phrase came to his lips now, after having been introduced into his vocabulary so significantly only six weeks ago. For his brother, he forced his best gentlemanly smile; It was no accident he was having to put it on so often right now. "I _am_ fine. Really."

Apollo stared a moment longer, clearly suspicious... but eventually nodded. "Alright." He turned away to watch the door.

Luke hid a sigh, and leaned against the table to wait for their friends.

 

It took a lot of effort, but eventually Luke managed to forget about the troubling incident of that morning. It helped that it wasn't just the four of them in that small room: Many of the workers around the Space Center dropped by to get a slice of cake (it tasted much better than it looked, to Apollo's relief), from Ms Racer the receptionist right up to Director Cosmos himself, and they all spent so much time congratulating Luke and Apollo that it was easy to get caught up in all the praise. The most disappointing thing about the 'party' was when Apollo restricted his younger brother's cake intake to only a single slice; It would have been ungentlemanly to whine about the injustice, so Luke could only give Apollo sad looks in the hopes of changing his brother's mind... up until the last of the cake was eaten by a visitor, and he was forced to give up.

When the last person left, Clay laughed. "Man, we probably had the entire Space Center in here, huh?" He began collecting up the plates and forks.

Starbuck chuckled as he tidied up the remains of his flirtation with baking. "Maybe. The only people I don't remember seeing are Metis and Aura."

Luke paused - Why were those names familiar? - then the reason hit him like a freight train. Those were the names of the people from the robotics department Starbuck was telling them about before. The guilt of the incident with the girl and the woman returned with a vengeance.

No-one else noticed Luke's internal terror, Starbuck grinning as he bundled up the cardboard under an arm. "Pretty amazing turnout, though." He wandered over to the door, waving to the boys. "I'll be back soon."

"I'll help you, Mister Starbuck!" Clay trailed behind the man, dirty plates piled high in his arms. "Wait up!"

Apollo stifled a laugh and he sat in a chair, watching as he and his brother were once more left alone in the room. "Well, that was fun." He turned to Luke, leaning back with his hands behind his head. "Clay must've really been telling everyone about us last week, huh?"

Luke forced a smile and nodded, sitting down opposite his brother.

Apollo's smile turned into a concerned frown, and he sat up straight. "You okay, Luke?"

"I'm fine." Luke barely even thought about the response, eyes on the floor. He didn't want to see his brother's face, knowing it would only make him feel worse.

"Uh huh." The disbelief in Apollo's voice was transparent.

Luke tried not to wince. "I just... I'm just not feeling well." He placed a hand on his belly, hoping to imply a stomach-ache. "Too much excitement, I suppose."

Apollo's stare burned into the top of Luke's head for a long moment. Finally, the older teen got to his feet. "Did you want to go back to school?"

Luke didn't want to answer at first, not wanting to cut off Apollo's and Clay's fun of being at the Space Center... but he hadn't been lying when he said he wasn't feeling well, and leaving the Center was incredibly tempting; It would certainly ease the strong guilt of the morning's incident. Finally, although he felt terrible for doing so, Luke nodded.

"Okay." Apollo headed for the door. "I'll tell Clay and Mister Starbuck we're going."

Luke finally looked up, eyes wide. "Wait, _we're_ going?"

Apollo turned, giving his brother a concerned smile. "Yeah? If you're not feeling well, I'm not letting you run off on your own."

Luke blushed, and chided himself for thinking otherwise. "Th-thank you, Apollo."

"No problem." Apollo shot Luke a grin, then left the room.

 

As it turned out, when Clay heard the situation from Apollo, he decided to accompany the brothers back to Turners. Starbuck gave Luke a soft pat on the shoulder - "Sorry to hear you're sick, Luke. Get better soon, huh?" - then the three boys left the Center, heading out to where their bikes were parked against the outbuildings at the entrance.

Luke could feel his friends' eyes on him as he guided his bike to the road. He only felt even more guilty for cutting the visit short. True, he wasn't feeling his best, but it still felt like a lie to be claiming an actual illness just to get out of the Space Center. He kept his eyes down and his hands on the handlebars, walking out onto the asphalt with the soft buzz of the wheel mechanisms accentuating his footsteps. A series of thoughts had been running back and forth through his mind since the end of the party, a line of reasoning he couldn't ignore or deny: Luke could not return to the Space Center. But... how to break that news to Clay?

"You okay, dude?"

Luke nearly jumped, looking up. He'd been so caught up in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed his feet had come to a stop on the road, or that Clay and Apollo were now flanking him with their own bikes at their sides. "U-uh..." He shook his head to collect his thoughts, then sighed. _(May as well get this over with...)_ "Clay, I don't think I can ever come back here."

Clay's eyes went wide, staring at Luke. "Huh?"

Luke tried not to wince at having to repeat himself, unable to meet his friend's gaze. "I think it's for the best I don't ever come to the Space Center again."

There was a long silence, then Clay bodily threw his bike to one side, pausing only long enough to kick out the stand so it wouldn't fall over. His bicycle safe, Clay rounded on Luke with a fearful glare. "Why not!?"

Luke busied himself with the kickstand of his own bike so he wouldn't look as awkward as he felt. "Because. If I get in trouble again, all three of us will be banned, and I can't let myself do that to you."

"Then don't get in trouble again! It's as simple as that!" Clay huffed, throwing his arms in the air and slapping them back down against his sides. "You only got in trouble today in the first place because you ran off! Just... Just don't do that!"

"You didn't see that girl's face!" It took a second for Luke to realise he'd just snapped at his friend, and he forced himself to calm down in the face of Clay's confused rage. "She was _curious_ about us. She's going to come find us again, and when she does..." Luke shook his head with a sigh. "A gentleman never ignores a person in need. If she runs off again, I'm going to follow her."

Clay could only stare, uncomprehending. "But..."

From behind Luke came the sound of another bicycle stand being kicked into place, followed by Apollo's footsteps as he stepped around to join his brother and friend. "Asking Luke not to be a gentleman is like asking you not to be interested in space, or me to not want to be a lawyer." He placed a hand on Luke's shoulder, his eyes fixed on Clay. "And he has a point: That girl is probably going to come find us again, and run off again, and Luke's going to get in trouble again. Next time, that scientist lady is gonna make do on her promise to ban all three of us."

Luke was a little surprised to see his brother coming to his aid, but didn't let it show on his face. Instead, he kept his eyes on Clay: Their friend was still fighting off his shock, gaze flicking everywhere but at them.

"Honestly, I don't think there's much point in _me_ coming back here either," Apollo continued. "Not for a while, at least. We can give the scientist time to calm down, and the girl time to forget about us. Maybe in a few months, the three of us can all come back here again. Until then, nobody can object to just _you_ running around."

Clay had settled into a sad stare at his feet.

Luke couldn't stay silent: "We don't hate coming here, Clay. We love spending time with you, doing something you love... and that's why we can't come back. We can't allow ourselves to be the cause if you're forbidden from being here."

Clay thought a long moment, then slowly sighed. "It really sucks, but... you guys are right." He snorted, looking up to meet his friends' eyes with a smirk. "Or, should I say, _Wright_?"

Apollo groaned and rolled his eyes. Luke giggled.

"I guess this was a long time coming, anyway." Finally relaxed again, Clay shifted his weight to one side, fiddling with his visor. "I mean, I always super hated being dragged along to the courthouse with you, 'Pollo... but I also felt real bad about not going when you were still coming all the way down here with me."

Apollo fixed his friend with a concerned frown, his hand slipping from Luke's shoulder. "I've never minded, Clay."

Clay shrugged, hopping slightly on his heels. "Yeah, well... It's not like either of you two want to be astronauts, just like I'm not gonna be a lawyer." He paused, then fixed Luke with a frown. "Actually, you've never said what you want to be, have you?"

Luke blushed. "Y-yes, I haven't decided yet." He snuck a glance at his brother, seeing the elder teen hiding a smile. "I'm pretty sure I won't be picking astronaut or lawyer, though."

Apollo muffled a laugh behind his teeth.

"Then that settles it!" Clay stepped forward and slapped a hand each on the shoulders of his friends, giving them both a wide grin. "I'll keep coming here, 'Pollo can go back to his courthouse visits with your new dad, and Luke can work out what he wants to be!"

Luke felt a smile start to twitch on his lips. "And we'll still all be best friends, right?"

"Of _course_ we will." Apollo snorted and pulled his brother to his side in a one-armed hug. "Nothing's gonna get between the three of us."

Clay laughed. "What, you want us to make friendship bracelets to make this official? 'Cause we totally can."

Luke blushed. He said nothing as his brother and their best friend pulled him into a tight hug.

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/165433574239/tumblr_owfatkS6LH1uwes7q)


	48. Adoptions Everywhere

October 18, 5:07PM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Phoenix's Office

 

Clay was, surprisingly, much less possessive of his friends this time when they packed up their things to go home for the weekend. Apollo wondered if it was simply that he had gotten used to the idea of the brothers having a home to go to, or maybe witnessing so many of their conversations with Trucy and Phoenix over the phone, or even getting to spend nearly two straight weeks with them right after their adoption... The incident at the Space Center probably played a not-insignificant role, too. Whichever the reason, Clay gave his friends a goodbye group hug and promised to see them the next Monday.

By necessity, Apollo led the way home that afternoon. He was glad in retrospect that Luke had made him (on Phoenix's insistence) write down their route home, as it was far too easy to forget after doing it once, and in the other direction, two weeks previous. Not that he'd ever say that to their father; Phoenix was worrying about them enough without being led to believe it was good for their health.

When they came within sight of their front door, Luke gasped and raced off ahead, his hands clutching his satchel tight. "We're home!"

Apollo grinned and sped up to follow. The entire concept of having a 'home' to return to was still a thrill for him. He didn't mind that ultimately it was Luke who got through the door first, and that, as he stepped into the office, he was greeted with the sight of his younger siblings hugging tightly, paying no mind to their surroundings.

"You're back! You actually came back!"

"Of _course_ we came back! We did promise, didn't we?"

"I'm so glad you're actually here!"

Apollo chuckled. Tugging the straps of his backpack, he edged past the pair towards the kitchen door. "Where's Dad?"

Trucy paused, jumping off Luke with wide eyes. The moment her eyes locked on to Apollo, her grin returned, and she leapt at the elder boy with a laugh. "Polly! You're here too!"

"Course I am?" Raising an eyebrow, Apollo patted the top of his sister's bare head where it pressed against his belly. "We kinda live here now. Where else would we go?"

Although her arms remained wrapped around her eldest brother, Trucy pulled her face from the rough fabric of his uniform to shoot Apollo a glare. "You live at _school_."

Luke pointed a proud finger into the air. "Only on school days. Every other day, we live here."

"And I guess we're technically 'visiting' when we're there over weekends." Apollo gave the girl a teasing smirk. "Aw, didya miss us while we were away, little sis?"

Trucy stuck out her tongue, though the corners of her lips twitched upwards.

"Is that Apollo and Luke I hear?" The door from the kitchen opened, admitting the children's father. Phoenix smiled as he spotted the pair. "I thought so. Welcome home, boys."

Still trapped by Trucy, Apollo could only wave from where he was stood. "Hi, Dad!"

"Hello, Nick." Luke stepped towards the man, one hand resting just a bit _too_ casually on the strap of his satchel. "You said on the phone that a letter had arrived for me?"

"Yep." Phoenix jerked a thumb behind him. "Left it on your bed."

Luke bounced with barely restrained glee, then raced off through the door, disappearing further into the apartment. "I'm coming, Professor!"

Apollo laughed. Finally, Trucy was detaching herself from him to watch their brother vanish, and he took the opportunity to step aside and approach their father, unable to resist a little more teasing. "What about you, Dad? Did _you_ miss us?"

Phoenix looked a little bemused by the question, but smiled regardless. "Naturally. What kind of father doesn't miss his kids?"

Apollo was struck by a hot flush on his cheeks, and suddenly couldn't make eye contact, reaching up to scratch the hair behind his carefully gelled spikes. A part of him couldn't help crying that there was a man clear across the world who had never once thought to miss a boy he'd called his son.

 

* * *

 

_My dear Luke,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. Although we did not discuss it, I felt it would be prudent to send my letters to Mr. Wright's address rather than to your school. By the time this arrives, I am certain your adoption will be long finalised and you will be calling Mr. Wright's home your own._

_After hearing how taken Mr. Wright was with Apollo, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to hear he is, or rather has, adopted him as well as you. I'm glad to hear how excited he and Trucy were about the whole thing. At the very least, I now know you are getting along with your new siblings. Brothers and sisters are a pleasure that I was unfortunately denied, but, as with all family, I imagine the most important part of the relationship is ultimately just being friends._

_You have surely long made a decision as to your name by now. Whatever your choice, I'm sure it is the best option for you. You've clearly been giving it a lot of thought._

_Don't apologise for thinking primarily of the adoption at this stage. It's an important time, which will completely redefine your entire life and change its course going forward. Faced with these kinds of moments, one can be forgiven for putting their all into ensuring it passes smoothly. Do not feel guilty for having to wait to look for your parents._

_Flora thanks you dearly for your encouragement. She tells me she also wishes that you were here to witness her progress, and that you are welcome to return to London at any time for a homemade dinner. Obviously, we understand you aren't exactly capable of accepting the offer right now, but I'm sure Flora doesn't mind leaving it open until you are. She dearly misses your presence._

_With all this talk of adoption and orphaned children, I almost feel as though the universe is sending me a very firm message as to what to do about young Alfendi. Flora and I have discussed the issue very seriously over the past few weeks, and finally we have asked to take the boy in. It's still early days as of yet, but I don't expect they will have any problem with our request. We have already set aside a room for him, and Flora is reading through a pile of how-to books while I am at classes. I will have to skim them once I have time, but for now I am doing as much university-work as I can before downgrading my hours to part-time, so I will be available to be a proper parent to a one-year-old. I won't pretend this will be easy, but we both intend to give raising Alfendi our all. You and Apollo can feel assured we will watch over him with the love and care every child deserves, adopted or not._

_I wish I had more to talk to you about, but, as with you and your adoption, my life has been somewhat overtaken by work and Alfendi lately. I suspect that will be the norm here for a long while yet. Speaking of, my thanks for those delightful puzzles, Luke. Solving them was a welcome distraction from everything, which I desperately needed. I have not had much free time, but here are a couple I found this past week that may interest all of you in America._

_Your friend,_

_Professor Hershel Layton_

_4th October, 2019_

 

* * *

 

Luke finished reading the letter with a proud smile, then promptly folded it neatly next to his dinner plate on the table. "And he wrote that two weeks ago, so they could be taking baby Alfendi home right now!"

Trucy squealed, her fingers curled and pressed to her wide grin. "A _baby_! That's so _cute_!" She bounced in her seat, then leaned forward on her elbows. "Is there a picture of him? I wanna see how cute he is!"

Across from the girl, Luke shook his head. "I can ask for a photo when I write my reply. I don't see any reason for him not to take one for us."

Trucy squealed again, hands pressed to her cheeks.

Next to Luke, Phoenix stared thoughtfully at the ceiling, arms folded on the table in front of him. "Professor Layton with a baby... Not a scenario I ever expected to see."

Luke blushed. "I guess I was too distracted by the adoption to really bring up Alfendi before. He was orphaned in the destruction of Westminster, and Flora came across him while volunteering to help. Since we were kind of involved, she felt partially responsible, so she asked the Professor if there was anything they could do for him."

"You were _there_!?" Trucy almost jumped out of her seat, wide eyes locked on Luke. "When that big machine attacked London!?"

A little startled by the outburst, Luke simply nodded.

Phoenix frowned, watching the girl. "Didn't I mention that at the time? They said the Professor's name on the news, even had a shot of him that night with Luke and the police. I remember pointing them out and saying they were friends of mine."

Trucy's face scrunched up in thought. "I don't remember that..."

"Don't worry, I'll tell you the full story sometime." Luke reached across the table to pat the girl's hand where it rested on the table. "The Professor and I got into all sorts of adventures, remember? And I promised to explain them all soon."

Trucy grinned. "Can we do that tomorrow?"

Luke giggled. "Sure."

"Well, do congratulate the Professor for me, won't you?" Phoenix patted Luke's shoulder. "I'd better welcome him to the perils of fatherhood."

Luke raised an eyebrow at the man. "What's so perilous about being a father?"

Phoenix laughed. "Ah, he'll understand. And give him my commiserations for adopting a _baby_. He's a braver man than me, that's for sure."

Luke still didn't understand, but made a mental note of Phoenix's words to write down later. He turned to face his brother, who was sat at Trucy's side. "What about you, Apollo?"

The elder teen jerked in his seat, his eyes jumping up from where they'd been staring holes in his food. "Huh? What?"

The other three Wrights watched him with concern. Phoenix was the first to speak: "Are you okay?"

Apollo rapidly nodded. "Yeah, sure." He ran a hand through his hair, scratching his head. "I, um... I got distracted thinking about that baby. How he put it in that letter."

Luke looked down to the folded paper by his hand. Right there, in the neat print of the Layton typewriter: 'You and _Apollo_ can feel assured we will watch over him.' It took Luke a few moments to remember the previous letter this one was in reply to, how he'd mentioned his new brother had been shuffled between foster families his entire life, and that he'd asked his older friend to, if it was possible, find a way to keep Alfendi from the same fate. Luke felt a faint heat in his cheeks; He'd forgotten to ever tell Apollo he'd essentially been talking about him behind his back. "S-sorry..."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "What are you sorry for? You've got nothing to do with this kid." His eyes slipped to one side, seeing something that wasn't there, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. "I'm glad your Professor's so dedicated to looking after that baby, though."

Luke felt too embarrassed to speak up in reply.

"Anyway Luke, if you're intending on doing those puzzles now," Phoenix gestured to the paper with a slight frown, "I'm afraid I'll have to pass. No offence, but I had more than enough of those in Labyrinthia."

Luke barely hit a snort, glad to change the subject. "I understand, Nick."

"I'll try them! They sound fun!" Trucy giggled, returning to her food. "And then you can tell us those stories about your adventures with the Professor."

Apollo nodded. "Stories sound interesting. Puzzles, not so much."

Luke laughed. "We'll see how we go, huh?"

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/165578766259/tumblr_owmnq1EIfB1uwes7q)


	49. Time Travel Doesn't Exist

_Dear Professor Layton,_

_I should apologise for not thinking to bring up myself where your letters were addressed. Yes, it does make more sense for them to go to Nick's apartment, my home, rather than to school. It does mean that it can take longer for me to get them when I stay at school over the weekend, as it did this past week, but I suppose that just gives us more to write to each other about, doesn't it?_

_All four of us are getting on very well. It's been two weeks since we moved in, though we're only on our third (or maybe fifth?) day together, thanks to school. Trucy doesn't like that Apollo and I have to leave over the week, but she has accepted it's going to be a fact of life during school terms. Nick's already very good at being a father, too. I suppose he's had several months of practise with Trucy by now, and we were laughing a bit that he had practise with Maya before that. Speaking of Maya, she is still very busy with whatever her new job is. Nick says she'll call soon, and maybe we can find time to visit her before the end of the year._

_The day after we moved in, we found the time to start investigating Mum and Dad's disappearance. There wasn't much left in the way of clues at the scene, especially since it's been six or seven weeks now since their disappearance. We did find a bracelet of Mum's, covered in blood. A detective friend of Nick's - he came with us to show us around - took it with him when we left. Nick also showed me all the research he's done into the strange events on that road, and all the people who've vanished there. His detective friend is also keeping us up-to-date on what the police are doing: Apparently, they've been scanning security and traffic cameras that cover either end of the road, and haven't found any evidence of whatever it was that destroyed the two cars. It's just baffling, how something so big and indestructible could have gotten in and out of such a remote location without ever being seen or leaving a trace of its existence. Even a large mecha like the ones we've encountered would have left footprints and damaged the underbrush of the forest. If you have any ideas Professor, Nick and I would be glad to hear them._

_I'm already looking forward to whatever Flora can put together when I'm able to go back to London. That's not something I ever thought I'd say, but here we are. Tell Flora I miss you guys a lot as well._

_Wow, you're adopting the baby, Professor? I should congratulate you, then! There's no way anyone would turn you down! I wish I could come visit to see Alfendi for myself. Nick says to congratulate you, and also "welcome to the perils of fatherhood". I don't think there's much peril involved, but he just laughed and said you'd understand. He also said to give you his commiserations for taking on a baby and said you're a braver man than him. Trucy's asked for a photo of Alfendi, because she wants to see how cute he is. Apollo deeply appreciated what you said about raising the baby with love, though he went really quiet at first. I think it may have hit a bit close to home for him? I forgot to tell him I'd told you all those things in my last letter, just like I'd been forgetting to tell Nick how you were doing. The adoption sort of took over everything, like you said._

_Those puzzles you sent are wonderful, Professor! I tried to share them around this morning before sitting down to write this reply. Nick turned me down, unfortunately. Apollo did one puzzle, then he left. Trucy loved trying them, though. She tried to help me come up with some to send back, but she's still new to this kind of thing, so they are mostly me. We hope you and Flora enjoy them inbetween preparing for Alfendi._

_Your friend and apprentice,_

_Luke Triton-Wright_

_19th October, 2019_

 

October 19, 3:02PM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Phoenix's Office

 

"The moment they landed back in the park, the police were all over the Laytonmobile. The Professor and Celeste helped Clive out, then the Prime Minister ran up, shouting at the top of his voice: 'He's a danger to society! A kidnapper and a terrorist! Arrest him immediately!'"

Trucy gasped, her hands covering her mouth. "Oh no, poor Clive!"

Apollo scoffed. "Hawks kinda had a point, though. The guy destroyed half the city, and killed people."

"So did Hawks!" Trucy scowled at her eldest brother. "He killed Clive's parents, and Celeste's sister, and destroyed a building because he couldn't wait to test his broken machine!"

"I'm not saying Hawks shouldn't be arrested - in fact, he _should_ \- but he didn't kill as many or destroy as much as Clive." Apollo lay back on the green carpet, hands behind his head. "No matter the number, Clive still killed people. He might have a sympathetic motive, but it's still murder."

Just as Luke had promised the previous night, today had been spent unpacking his letter from England. After breakfast, he tried tempting his siblings with the new puzzles, though only Trucy really enjoyed solving them, and even tried to help make some of her own. Her results were exceedingly simple, but Luke assured her they were excellent for a first try and included them anyway. He took his time writing his reply to his mentor, then gathered his siblings for the much-anticipated story-time of his last adventure in London. Right now, he was curled up against the armrest of the black leather lounge in the office, and Apollo lay on his back on the floor nearby. Trucy had moved around a lot during the tale, but right now she was kneeling on the floor, her top half draped across the seat cushion next to Luke. Listening to his siblings bicker, as they often had during his tale, Luke shook his head and sighed. "Are you guys done?"

The pair instantly quietened, Trucy's eager eyes back on Luke while Apollo simply relaxed on the floor.

Assured the interruptions had stopped for now, Luke cleared his throat and continued: "Inspector Chelmey stepped forward to arrest him... but as he was walking away, I heard him saying," he put on his best impression of the older detective, "It's a shame some people are so caught up in their motivations they blind themselves to the damage they do. And, unfortunately, criminals aren't the only blind ones sometimes." Luke dropped the impression with a grin, though he continued miming the mannerisms of his 'characters' as they spoke. "He had his eyes on the Prime Minister the whole time, and the PM puffed up his chest, 'Just what are you implying?', but Inspector Chelmey shook his head. 'Nothing at all, sir. Just stating the facts.'"

Apollo smirked. "That detective's smarter than I gave him credit for."

Trucy giggled.

"Dimitri Allen was arrested too, and the police got to work sorting out all the damage Clive had done to the city." Luke's eyes drifted, thinking back on that dark night. "We said our goodbyes to Celeste, and she went home... then the Professor and I went home too." He'd very carefully left out the truth behind who 'Celeste' really was; Once he realised he would have to recount the story to a pair of living lie-detectors, Luke put a lot of thought into how he could conceal the most private revelations they stumbled upon without having to explain away a falsehood (because they would surely demand answers if he suddenly lied in the middle of an otherwise truthful tale). His solution in Claire's case was simply to give the truth as it had appeared to be when they first ran into 'Celeste' deep beneath London: She was Claire's younger sister, out to seek the truth behind the time machine accident, and stumbled into helping the Professor and his group by accident. As for Claire herself, Luke was meticulously careful in his wording when he described her relationship to Hershel Layton, to say she was someone he knew but not specifying exactly how close they really were. He could not shake from his mind the frightening picture of his beloved Professor's tears after Claire vanished back into the time-stream.

Luke trusted his new siblings, he really did... but he felt it would be a betrayal to his closest friend to so openly share around the most painful details of his life.

Apollo hummed in thought, eyeing his brother. "That's the ending, huh?"

Luke nodded.

Trucy climbed back up onto the sofa, hugging her knees. "So, why didn't Inspector Chelmey arrest the Prime Minister?"

"No evidence of a crime to arrest him for." Luke glanced at the nearby TV, recalling the few times he'd managed to catch updates on the situation from the local news. "But he's working on it. I don't think Bill Hawks is going to escape his punishment again."

"That's good." Trucy grinned, leaning against the armrest.

Apollo mused in silence for a long moment. "Y'know, I was really worried when you started off with you travelling to the future and meeting your future self... I should've known you'd explain it was all a trick eventually."

Trucy perked up. "A trick?"

"Yeah, a trick." Apollo sat up to look his sister in the eye. "Clive and Mister Allen built an entire fake city full of hired actors as residents, and set up a fake time machine to transport people there. They had all those kidnapped scientists, and Luke and the Professor, and everyone else, thinking it was real."

Trucy's eyes grew as wide as her grin, threatening to split her face in two. "Wow... They were _magicians_!"

Apollo and Luke jerked in surprise, and gave each other a quick glance to check the outburst was just as much of a surprise for both brothers. Luke found his voice first: "Well, um, no? They were scientists, or at least Mister Allen was."

Trucy scoffed. "Come on, Luke, they pulled off a _magic trick_! They made a whole extra London appear and then disappear, without the audience ever suspecting a thing!"

"Except they _did_ suspect." Apollo rolled his eyes. "The Professor worked it out because he _knew_ time travel doesn't exist."

Luke bit his lip. Technically, his brother was right: Time travel _didn't_ exist... at least, not anymore.

"He never stopped being suspicious of everything they saw down there," Apollo continued, not even missing a beat. "And just because they used the same stage magic as you, Truce, doesn't make them magicians; It just makes them opportunists. _Conmen_."

Trucy slumped, frowning deeply in thought. After a long moment, she muttered, "I guess so," then sighed. "It's guys like those that give magic a bad name."

Luke giggled. "I can think of at least one of my other stories you'll really love, Trucy; It's got an actual magician in it as the bad guy."

Trucy gave him a broad grin, only to quickly frown again. "Wait, they're the bad guy?"

The brothers both laughed. Apollo got to his feet and patted the girl's shoulder. "We can ask him to tell it another time, Truce. Don't judge the story until you've heard it, huh?"

Luke smiled as the girl reluctantly agreed. At the back of his mind, he could still see that dark night, ash falling all around them, and a top hat hugged to a crying man's chest.

 

* * *

 

_P.S. I've started telling Apollo and Trucy about our adventures together. Have you been doing okay since Future London, Professor? I don't want to re-open wounds, but we only knew who Claire was for a few minutes before she had to leave. ~~We've been so busy with other things since, and you looked so sad when Claire~~ I just wanted to check._

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/165614794629/tumblr_owok8l2nwf1uwes7q)


	50. Trucy Wright, Costume Maker Extraordinaire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeeey, it's been a while, huh...?  
> Sorry, guys. I started this project a year ago with the thought of improving my 'first draft' of Luke and Apollo Wright, and making a definitive version for new readers, and over the past few months that dream has just fallen apart around me. A combination of various health issues has led to a serious lack of motivation and hugely decreased productivity, and I just... I won't be able to finish Turnabout Adoption as I originally intended to, and especially not if I also intend on continuing the original version and finishing the story. So, since telling a compete story takes priority over simple polish, Turnabout Adoption and version 2 are coming to an end so that I can concentrate on Luke and Apollo Wright's continuation for version 1.  
> However, before marking this fic complete and moving on, I did manage to reach the next 'ending' point, right after this next arc. I hope these final chapters are a good enough apology?

October 20, 8:08AM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Kitchen

 

As a celebration for the boys being home for once, Phoenix greeted the kids that morning with bacon and eggs - "One of the few foods I can reliably make." - fresh out of the frying pan on the stove top. He passed it out for the kids, and the family settled around the small dining table in silence. Always-ravenous Trucy was the first to finish, and she stuffed the last bit of bacon into her mouth with a loud "NOM!"

Phoenix frowned. "Mouth closed, Trucy. We don't want to see your half-chewed breakfast."

Trucy bit her lips together and giggled. The moment she'd swallowed, she grinned widely. "Do you guys know what today is?"

Apollo stabbed his fork into his bacon until he had also swallowed, then raised an eyebrow at the girl sitting beside him. "Sunday?"

" _No_ , silly!" Trucy jumped to her feet, her hands pressed to the table as she looked around the faces of her family gathered there. "It's ten-plus-one days until Halloween!"

Apollo rolled his eyes. "You mean eleven. Eleven days until Halloween."

Meanwhile, Luke had paused, his final forkful of egg halfway to his mouth. He stared warily at the girl sitting across from him. "Halloween?"

"Surely you've heard of Halloween, Luke." Phoenix turned to the boy at his side with a soft smile. "You've travelled enough."

Luke shrugged, awkwardly tapping his fork against his plate. "Sure, I've heard of it before. It's just, it's not really a thing we do in England, so I don't know all that much about it."

Apollo's face broke into a wide grin. "Oh boy, you are in for a treat, Luke!"

"I'll make your costume!" Trucy bounced excitedly, but her hands still resting on the table jolted the cheap piece of furniture along with her movements. "I'm gonna be a magic bunny!"

Phoenix rushed to grip the edges of the tabletop, directing a glare at his daughter. "Trucy, no rocking the table!"

The girl stopped with a sheepish look, then grabbed her plate and hurried to the kitchen.

Phoenix and Luke both relaxed at her departure, Phoenix returning to his food while Luke nervously shoved his final forkful of egg into his mouth.

Apollo took pity on his younger brother. "You know what the traditions of Halloween are, right? Everyone dresses up, kids go door-to-door collecting candy from all the houses?"

Luke slowly nodded. He'd heard that much, but the main question on his mind was far more embarrassing. With red cheeks, he mumbled, "Um... I know Trucy just said, but... _when_ exactly is this, again?"

Trucy burst into laughter, returning from the kitchen. "In ten-plus-one days!" She rushed back to her seat, giving Luke a grin. "The last day of the month!"

"O-okay." Fighting his now-even-redder face, Luke meekly collected his plate and cutlery and retreated to the kitchen himself.

Phoenix watched the boy go. Although he was concerned, he kept quiet and continued eating.

Apollo pressed a finger to his forehead, thinking hard. "It's the middle of the week this year. Me and Luke will be at school."

Phoenix snorted, turning back to the table with a smirk. "Nonsense. Sure, it's a long way from here, but you can make it home for one night on special occasions like this. You'd just have to be prepared for a late start to the festivities and an early rise the next morning." He leaned back in his chair, one arm hooked over the back. "Your friend Clay's welcome to join us, if he wants."

"Trick-or-treating, you mean?" Apollo chewed his lip, uncertain. "That's nice of you to offer, Dad, but Clay and I are a bit old for that kind of thing."

Trucy stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry at her eldest brother. "That's stupid. You _both_ need to come." She grinned. "I'll make _your_ costumes, too! What do you want to dress up as this year?"

Apollo sighed and shrugged. "Honestly, I completely forgot about Halloween until now. We kinda got distracted by the adoption." He paused, a slight frown on his face as he stared off into the distance. "This'll be the first time in... three years I don't have to borrow something from Nanny Kay."

Phoenix turned to watch his younger son's slow and uncertain return from the kitchen. "Have you got anything in mind, Luke?"

Luke lingered on the border between the kitchen and dining area, shifting from foot to foot. He shook his head.

"That's okay." Trucy jumped to her feet and skipped around the table to put herself more in the new centre of the conversation, ending up next to Apollo's chair. "If you guys don't know what to be, I have plenty of ideas!" She giggled and threw her arms around Apollo's neck, to his displeasure. "We can all be _themed_! I'm a magic rabbit, so one of you can be, like, the wizard or the druid who owns me!"

Luke perked up, and took a small step forward before pausing nervously, his hands clutched tightly together. "Um... I don't mind being a druid. If no-one else wants it."

"Fine with me." Apollo huffed and shoved his sister off from where she clung to his neck. "As long as I can _breathe_..." He grumpily returned to his food.

Trucy was unfazed, cheerfully deciding, "Then you can be a wizard, Polly!" She turned to Phoenix. "Daddy, what do you want to be? There's like, a warrior, or..." She paused, frowning in thought. "Or, um, a bard? And there's, uh..."

Phoenix chuckled. "I'm happy to be a Sir Blue Knight of some kind... on the condition I get a hood or helmet." He held out his hand.

Luke bit back a giggle, pressing a fist to his mouth.

Trucy grinned and rapidly shook her father's hand. "Deal!" Releasing Phoenix, she looked between her brothers. "You guys need to ask Clay what he wants to be too, okay?"

"Okay." Luke smiled. "I think 'bard' would really fit him, actually."

Apollo snorted, though he tried to hide his amusement behind another forkful of bacon and egg. "Yeah, it would."

Phoenix paused, watching his daughter. "Wait, Trucy, have you just volunteered yourself to make _five_ costumes in eleven days?" He frowned. "I hope you've planned for this to not cut into your homework time."

Trucy stuck out her bottom lip in a pout, hands behind her back. Her eyes were on the floor, avoiding Phoenix's gaze. "Yeah, of course I have, Daddy." She looked up with a glare. "I'll get 'em all done in time."

Phoenix raised an eyebrow, leaning forward on the table. "You sure?"

" _Yeeeeees_!" The girl stomped a foot to accentuate her whining. "I can do it, Daddy!"

"Hmm." Phoenix narrowed his eyes at the girl, then stood up and moved to the wall nearby, where a calendar was hanging from a small hook. He snatched the item up, and returned to the table, his other hand digging around in his pocket. "In that case, let's just make sure." He plopped back down into his seat and moved his unfinished breakfast to one side, laying the calendar down in its place. From his pocket, he pulled out a pen, and drew a circle around the box labelled '30'. "We'll give you ten days to complete them all: That's two days for each one. You can leave mine last," he wrote 'Daddy' down under '29', "and finish your own first." 'Trucy' went down under '20'. "I'd suggest Clay's second-last, since you don't even know if he wants you to make him a costume yet." Down went 'Clay' under '27'. "Your brothers' you can do in any order, as long as they are both done before you start on the next." He hovered the pen over '22' for a moment before scribbling 'Luke/Apollo', then turned his head up to watch the girl with a stern look. "That's your plan. Don't let this cut into your homework time, don't start on a new costume until the previous one is finished. Agreed?"

Trucy chewed her lip for a long moment. Finally, she nodded. "Alright, Daddy." She jumped over to his side, where she pulled out the calendar and flipped through the remaining months of the year. "Maybe we should make a plan for-" She paused, flipping back to the page labelled 'November'. "Oh!" Grinning, Trucy pointed to one of the dates and turned to look at her middle brother. "Luke, your birthday is next month!"

Luke smiled and nodded. "Yep. Tenth of November: The day before Remembrance Day."

Apollo raised an eyebrow, pulling his newly-emptied fork from his mouth. "Wemembwens 'ay?"

Phoenix shot him a glare. "No talking while eating."

Apollo blushed and stared at his plate, too embarrassed to mumble a reply through his bulging cheeks.

Luke giggled. "Yeah, Remembrance Day: Eleven-eleven, every year."

"Ooh, yeah, it says here!" Trucy pointed to the day in question. "Veterans Day, U.S., Remembrance Day, Can., A.U., N.Z., Armistice..." She frowned, then looked back to the day before, the one on which Phoenix had previously scribbled 'Luke BDay'. "Remembrance _Sunday_ , U.K.." She turned to Luke with a curious look. "What's the difference?"

Luke shrugged. "One's on the actual day, the other's on the nearest Sunday and has all the big services on the telly." He stepped over and peered down at the calendar himself. "What's Veterans Day? Just a different name for the same thing?"

"Eh, we can discuss it and find out some other time." Phoenix shifted his chair over a bit, giving him easier access to where his breakfast had ended up.

"Well, looks like Remembrance Sunday is on my birthday again this year." Luke grinned for his sister. "When I turned seven, my birthday was ten-eleven-twelve: Tenth of the eleventh, twenty-twelve!"

Both Apollo and Trucy frowned in confusion, then Apollo gasped in realisation. "Oh yeah, you mean that as day-month, not month-day!"

Luke blushed and nodded. "Yes, that change of order still confuses me sometimes... The teachers at school are constantly 'correcting' it on my work."

"It's only us that says it this way, I'm told." Phoenix picked at his food, giving his children a warm look. "The number of prosecutors I worked with who'd trained in Europe, I learned pretty quickly never to give the date using pure numbers, just to avoid confusion."

Apollo zoned out of the conversation as he shoved the last of his bacon into his mouth. This was yet another thing he shared with Luke: _That place_ where Apollo grew up had also ordered the date as day-month-year. He'd struggled so much against the change when he came to California, fully expecting his situation to be temporary and to return 'home' at any time... Once he finally realised he was never going back, he threw himself into everything United States of America without a second thought, crushing every part of young Apollo Justice that still thought of _that place_ as precious to him in any way. In the end, it was only a matter of days before he no longer instinctively used the day-month order. It astounded him that the Apollo Wright he had become was so easily flustered by a turn of phrase that used to come so naturally to him.

"...day, Polly?"

Apollo jumped, re-focussing on the conversation to find the rest of his family all staring at him. "Hm?" He quickly swallowed his food, looking back with wide eyes. "What?"

Trucy frowned. "I asked when your birthday is. Weren't you listening?"

Apollo blushed, busying himself arranging his cutlery on top of his empty plate. "Umm..."

Luke giggled, and pointed at the calendar with a grin. Apparently, he was taking pity on his elder brother. "Did you hear Nick's is twelve-twelve? He was just telling us how his friend Larry dragged him out to 'end-of-the-world' parties for his twentieth birthday!"

"Back in twenty-twelve, yes." Phoenix shot Apollo a worried look, but, thankfully, didn't voice his concerns, instead hiding them behind a smile. "There was a big hysteria that year about some ancient Mayan calendar ending on, if I remember right, December twenty-first. Larry used my birthday as an excuse to make the most of the growing festivities... Picked up a girl while he was at it."

Trucy tapped a finger against her chin. "This is Uncle Larry you're talking about, right?"

Apollo raised an eyebrow. " _Uncle_ Larry?"

Phoenix nodded. "You two will meet him eventually. He's been here babysitting Trucy a few times."

"He sounds interesting." Luke smiled and turned to Trucy. "Actually, I don't think we know your birthday either, Trucy. When is it?"

"August thirtieth." Trucy grinned. "Only just had it!"

Apollo got to his feet, his plate and cutlery in his hands. "Mine's in May." He walked around his siblings and into the kitchen. "May seventh, specifically."

"They'll all be written on the calendar next year, don't you worry." Phoenix took the item back from Trucy, and got up to replace it on the wall. "Plenty of time to prepare for them." He turned, giving Trucy a pointed look. "Not so much time for _Halloween_ , though."

Trucy squeaked, then turned and ran for the stairs. "I'll do it! I'll be ready in time! I promise!"

Luke giggled, then moved to follow her. "I'll see if she wants help."

With the younger pair gone, Phoenix chuckled and returned to his seat, eager to finally finish eating his breakfast. _(Not even Maya and Pearls used to distract me from food this much...)_ Apollo walking past pulled him from his thoughts, and he gave the teen a concerned look. "You alright, Apollo?"

Apollo jolted a little as he stopped, but quickly covered it with a smile. "Sure. I'm fine, Dad." Not waiting for a reply, he hurried on to the stairs.

Phoenix tried very hard not to let his mind linger on the image of the Psyche-Locks surrounding his eldest son's face.

 

[View the Court Record/Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/170035789909/tumblr_p30c8fHlf81uwes7q)


	51. The Big Night

_"So, what are you guys doing for Halloween?"_

_"Well, Trucy's decided we're all going trick-or-treating together, us and our friend Clay. Still gotta work out specifics, since it takes so long for us to get home from here and all. Luke's never done it before, so I guess just a typical evening is the best introduction we could give, even if it'll be really late."_

_"Pffft... Actually though, that's what we did for_ your _first Halloween. Do you remember that?"_

_"Y-yeah... And can you not mention that to Luke or Trucy? Or Clay?"_

_"Hm? Why? It's not like anything exciting happened. Aside from it being your first, it was just a regular Halloween."_

_"E-exactly because of that. I... I don't want to talk about Kh-... the place I grew up. I_ can't _talk about it."_

_"Can't? Oh, wait... Is this related to when you ran off to the airport?"_

_"... Yeah. Yeah, it's because of that. I just... I can't, Kerensa. He was... He never..."_

_"Are you okay, Apollo?"_

_"I'm fine. S-sorry for-"_

_"No, don't be!_ I'm _sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. I didn't think it'd make you cry."_

_"I'm not crying. No tears."_

_"O-okay. Hey, you know what? I'll tell my mom and dad not to mention it, so you don't have to worry about that anymore... and you guys can come trick-or-treating with us! We're much closer to your school, and I know for a fact you'd have to travel anyway to go trick-or-treating. I never saw any proper houses around that park when we came to visit."_

_"That's true... I'll talk to Dad, I guess. Are Willow and Ryder okay with us coming along?"_

_"Uhhh... Okay, yeah, you got me, I kinda just came up with that and haveta ask if they're happy with me offering? Actually, I'll go do that right now. You hang up and talk to your dad, then call me back to let me know what he says."_

_"Um, alright. Talk to you later."_

_"Don't waste time before calling me back, you hear?"_

 

October 31, 3:56PM  
Bonney Family Home

 

Luke had been quite surprised to hear of Kerensa's suggestion when Apollo explained it to him. It had been strange enough when Clay accepted Trucy's offer to join them without a moment's hesitation, laughing at her idea to make him a 'bard' (another idea he had happily agreed to without a second thought). Trucy had even tasked her brothers with taking their friend's measurements for her, so she could get started with Clay's costume the moment Apollo's and Luke's were done, and Clay never complained a bit. In fact, when Luke had brought up that he expected their friend to be unwilling to co-operate, Clay had scoffed loudly.

"Ha! Why wouldn't I co-operate? I haven't had a custom-made Halloween costume since before my mom died! Same deal with trick-or-treating, actually. This year's gonna be so awesome!"

The big day itself fell on a Thursday, and had been discussed and planned enough that Luke had some kind of vague idea of what was going to happen... though he couldn't help still feeling a little nervous. The moment school finished for the day, they went up to their dorm rooms to ensure their things were all packed, then converged at the front gate, leaving together as a trio for the nearest bus-stop.

As it turned out, back when the boys had first gone to visit the Bonneys, Apollo hadn't quite looked as hard as they'd assumed when he checked there weren't any buses between them and the nearby school: Phoenix had been happy at first for them to take a twenty-minute bike ride, until they collectively realised that there would be no opportunity to return said bikes to the school the next morning. Apollo's insistence there were no buses they could take instead had earned him his father's disbelieving grunt, and, ten minutes later, Phoenix had found a bus route that served their needs as adequately as public transport could ever be expected to. Luke was certain he'd never seen Apollo turn so bright a shade of crimson before that phone call; It had actually been very difficult to hold back the laughter, to Apollo's displeasure.

One bus trip and a short walk later, and the three boys were once more walking up the driveway of the Bonney's home. Unlike last time, they were uninterrupted on their path to the front door, where Apollo cheerfully rapped his knuckles against the wood.

"Coming!" came a call from inside, then the door opened to reveal Willow, grinning widely for her visitors. "Ah, you've arrived!" She pulled Apollo and then Luke into tight hugs.

Clay smirked, holding out his arms. "What, don't I get one too, Missus B.?"

Willow gave Clay a withering look until the boy sheepishly backed down, to his friends' laughter. "Become one of my kids, little mister, _then_ we can talk." She led the trio inside. "Ryder and the kids got home a few minutes ago. I don't believe any of you have met Isabella, have you?"

Apollo shook his head. "Kerensa mentioned you'd taken on another foster kid."

"Well, we had an opening after Luke here left." Willow shot the boy in question a smile. "Speaking of, it's nice to see you without that cast finally. All healed up!"

Luke grinned in embarrassment, hands clutching the strap of his satchel. "Ah, yes. It came off the day after we last met, I think."

Willow chuckled. They were arriving in the living room now, so she gestured for the three to sit down. "You two probably need to talk to Kerensa about something _else_ that's changed since then." She promptly made herself comfortable in the lounge chair.

Apollo and Luke giggled at each other as they sat side-by-side on one of the two sofas. Clay, settling nearby, raised an eyebrow.

Willow noticed Clay's confusion and took pity on him, waving a hand. "She's got a car."

Clay's eyebrows shot up in understanding, his mouth making an 'oh' shape.

"Anyway," Willow looked between the three, clapping her hands together, "do you three have your costumes for tonight?"

Apollo shook his head. "Dad and Trucy are bringing them. They weren't done yet when we were last home."

Luke clutched his hands together in his lap, eyebrows pressed together. "I hope they find their way okay..." In retrospect, it was doubly fortunate they'd found the nearby bus-stop, as it also gave Phoenix and Trucy a way to get to the Bonneys' house themselves. Without it, they would have had to ask for one of the car-owning Bonneys to pick them up; Ryder had reportedly already insisted on driving them back home again afterwards.

Apollo patted his brother's back. "If you're that worried, we could always go meet them at the bus-stop."

Willow nodded. "That's always an option. You've got half an hour until then, though." She grinned, pointing a thumb in the direction of the hallway. "In the meantime, why don't I introduce you to Isabella?"

The next half-hour was spent hanging around the Bonneys' house, attempting to fill the time until the rest of tonight's party arrived. Ryder, much like Willow had, greeted the three teenagers with hearty slaps on their shoulders and a welcoming smile. Noah was more visibly excited to see Luke again, dragging him over to meet seven-year-old Isabella. She only shrank away from them, hands running nonstop through her layers of black hair, and it took quite a bit of gentle persuading for Noah to allow them to leave her alone instead of trying to force her to talk to them. It was hard to miss her relief when Apollo led them out of the room to "go check on how Artemis and the other rabbits are doing". In the meantime, Willow and Ryder announced their own intentions to get changed, not wanting to be caught out by any early trick-or-treaters scouting the street; Noah proudly boasted the couple were both going to be "x-rays", or, as Willow gently corrected him, "skeletons".

Not for the first time, Luke wondered as they sat on the grass cuddling the bunnies whether he should tell his friends what the squeaking rodents were saying. He spent so long deliberating that in the end the decision was made for him; It was time for the rest of their family to arrive.

 

Trucy bounded into the Bonney home with wide eyes and an even wider grin, the skirt of her school uniform flapping against her thighs. "Wow! This is where you guys lived?"

Apollo ruffled the girl's hair, walking at her side. "Luke was only here a week. I don't think that counts as 'living' here."

Behind them, Clay smirked and elbowed Luke's side. Luke himself only blushed and looked away.

Willow laughed. She slipped past the group from the front door, having just let them in, and waved everyone through into the living room, Noah clinging to her side. "Come on in. We need to get ready for tonight, don't we?"

Trucy gasped, then ran back to where Phoenix was carefully closing the door. He was hefting a large duffel-bag over one shoulder, and Trucy grabbed the strap to bodily drag her father towards Willow. "Daddy, Daddy, we need to hand out the costumes!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Phoenix let out an exasperated sigh as he followed the girl into the living room. Once through the doorway, he wrested the strap from her grip and sat in the nearest chair, placing the bag on the carpet at his feet. He unzipped it in a matter-of-fact manner, then gestured to the opening and leaned to one side on the armrest. "Alright, go ahead."

Trucy squealed with excitement, dropped to the floor, and immediately began rifling through the duffel bag. Her brothers, Clay, Noah and even Willow crowded behind her, watching the movement of the girl's hands through the coloured fabric and plastic bags within. Before long, Trucy was pulling out one of the bags, red and green cloth visible inside. "Polly." She held it out towards Apollo, her eyes still on the duffel bag. When he numbly took it, her only reaction was to retract her hand and promptly pull out a second. "This one's mine." A bag full of fluffy whiteness was deposited into her own lap. "And this one's yours, Clay." She finally turned, giving Clay a proud smile as she held up a bag of black and green cloth.

Clay took the bag eagerly. "Awesome! You're amazing, kid." He began looking through the items inside. "Like, seriously, thanks. This rocks."

"No problem!" Grinning, Trucy turned back to the duffel bag. "I love making costumes. Mommy taught me how, then she left, so Daddy and Grandpa helped. But it's okay that they're gone. I can make this stuff on my own now."

Luke felt a stab of sympathy for his sister, despite her somewhat cheerful tone. Before he could move to comfort her, he noticed a similar wince on Apollo's face; With the elder brother standing directly behind her, he was faster to lay a hand on her shoulder.

"Frankly," Phoenix waved a hand, a slight smirk on his face, "I'm amazed you managed to finish them all in time. I'm still not entirely convinced you actually completed all your homework like you promised."

Trucy scoffed and shot him a glare. "I _did_ , Daddy! I already told you a thousand times!"

Phoenix raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh."

"I _did_!"

His expression unchanged, Phoenix just stared at her in reply.

Trucy growled in frustration, then returned her attention to the duffel bag with a scowl. She tugged one of the remaining plastic bags from inside and tossed it into Phoenix's lap, a lump of blue and green visible inside. "Yours." The final bag was removed with a similar jerk and shoved towards Luke, a smaller lump of the same colours within. "And yours."

Luke took the bag with a hesitant smile. He resisted the urge to inspect the contents; He and Apollo had already tried their (then incomplete) costumes on the previous weekend to check the fit, and he doubted Trucy had the time to have changed anything about them since.

Willow laughed. "Well, it's time we all got ready to go!" She patted Noah's hair. "Why don't you go upstairs and see if Ryder is done helping Isabella?"

The five-year-old groaned in annoyance, but obediently ran off.

Luke's eyes drifted to the window, to the colourful shapes of the trick-or-treaters wandering up and down the road. The street outside was bathed in a pinkish light that heralded the approaching sunset, and he wondered how long it would be before his own reflection in the glass blocked the view. "It looks like it's starting to get dark... Isn't trick-or-treating over once the sun sets?"

"That won't be for another couple of hours," Willow assured him. "And not always."

"Yep!" Clay moved around to give his friend a slap on the back that was somehow intended to be reassuring. "There's always people like us who have to travel to a place with houses."

Willow nodded, smiling. "Most everyone here keeps an ear on their front door until late. You'd be surprised how long it takes for the activity to calm down."

Luke sighed in relief.

Apollo eyed the window with similar concern. "Kerensa should be here by now. She said she'd be coming with us."

"Apparently she's running a little late." Willow shrugged. "In the meantime, the rest of us can get ready. Here, I'll show you where you can all get changed..."


	52. Costume Woes

October 31, 4:45PM  
Bonney Family Home  
Living Room

 

A bang at the front door heralded Kerensa's arrival, and the young woman shortly stumbled into the living room, tripping over the sleeves of the coat hanging off her arms. She was dressed all in black from head to toe, a thick body-suit that covered every inch of skin from the neck down, except for a separate hood that she held tightly in one hand. "I'm here! Sorry I'm late!"

Noah looked up from the rug, where he and Trucy had been deep in discussion about their favourite foods. "Kerensa!" The five-year-old leapt to his feet, somewhat clumsily with the cardboard boxes and giant shoulder pads that made up his costume draped over his torso. "Look, I'm the football robot!"

Kerensa cooed an appropriately impressed sounding noise in the boy's direction, tossed her coat on the empty lounge chair, then leaned down and tweaked Noah's nose, making him giggle. "The amazing football robot, who never loses a game? _That_ football robot?"

Trucy also stood up, brushing any dirt off her fluffy rabbit suit. "So we can go now, right?" She directed a grin at the three teenage boys sprawled across the couch. "It was just Kerensa we were waiting for, wasn't it?"

Luke turned to Apollo, who was sitting next to him. "I think so? We've just got to find where Isabella went, and tell Nick."

Apollo nodded, then pulled himself to his feet. He turned to face his former foster sister. "Dad's in the kitchen with Willow and Ryder. They were taking turns handing out the candy."

"Not that they'd hand out any to _us_." Clay slouched further back into his seat with a scowl, making the back of his costume ride up where it caught against the couch fabric.

Trucy stomped a foot. "Clay! Be careful of your costume!"

Clay waved her off, though he did reluctantly sit up and readjust his wayward clothes.

Kerensa bit her lip in a failed attempt to keep from smiling as she eyed the boys. "So, uh... What are you guys dressed as this year? Robin Hood and his merry men?"

Apollo gave her a look somewhere between startled and outraged, while Luke simply seemed confused. Clay, despite his frown only a moment ago, fell over the nearby armrest in uproarious laughter.

Noah frowned. "What's Robbing Hood and Mary Men? Are they a band?"

"Th-they're not..." Trucy moved to scratch her head in confusion, only to hit the headband with her bunny ears attached, and was quickly distracted making sure the item was undamaged and still in the right position.

Luke fidgeted with an embarrassed smile. "Well, in a way, they _are_ a band, Noah... if you use the older definition of 'band'." He got to his feet, approaching the younger pair.

Meanwhile, Apollo rounded on Kerensa. "Why would you jump to _that_ conclusion?" He gestured to the crimson fabric wrapped around his torso, tied firmly at the waist with a short length of rope. As there hadn't been enough material for full-length robes, he was forced to make do with ones that ended at his thigh, and kept his school pants on underneath. "How does _this_ look like a Robin Hood costume!?"

Giggling, Kerensa picked at the cloak pinned around Apollo's shoulders. "You don't think these forest-green capes have something to do with it?" She then poked at the pointed hat on his head. "And doesn't this dunce's cap kinda look like an arrow? And on _top_ of that," she pointed to the red robes, "isn't there some English thing about 'Robin Redbreast'? It matches perfectly!"

Apollo shot her a mutinous glare.

Luke slapped a hand to his mouth, only barely holding back hisses of restrained laughter. "N... No, Kerensa! That's not...!" He took a few moments to bring himself back under control, though he couldn't keep the large grin from his face as he lowered his hand. "Kerensa, 'robin redbreast' refers to the _bird_ , not Robin Hood! And who'd dress up as a robin in October, anyway? They're a Christmas thing!"

Trucy shot Luke a confused look only for a second before turning towards the young women with a smug nod of agreement. "Yeah! And his hat is a _wizard's_ hat, because Polly's dressed as a _wizard_!" She pointed to Clay where he was still slouched on the sofa. "Clay's a bard," she pointed to Luke, "and Luke's a druid! Daddy's in the kitchen, but he's a warrior. We're all themed. That's why I gave everyone matching cloaks."

Kerensa slowly nodded. Her eyes studied Luke's blue tunic (like Apollo's, tied around the waist with a length of rope) and Clay's black shirt (a second-hand one that Trucy had decorated with a variety of colourful beads and patterns), noting how they too were completed hips-down with the boys' standard black school wear. "I guess that makes more sense."

"Ah, so that _was_ you coming in just now!" The sound of Ryder's chuckling drew the kids' attention to the doorway behind Kerensa, where they found the man in question idly leaning against the wall. "Couldn't come say 'hi' to your own parents?"

Kerensa smirked. " _You_ couldn't come say 'hi' to your own daughter? Made me wait for that, huh?"

Ryder laughed.

From the hallway came Phoenix, thoroughly distracted fiddling with his cloak where it was pinned below his neck. Similar to his sons, he was dressed in a light blue tunic, with a darker blue shirt underneath, and a length of rope as his belt. Tied around his chest was a sheet of cardboard acting as a breastplate, and smaller 'armguards' were tied to his forearms with string, all painted silver to complete the illusion. Below the waist, he had simple black slacks he commonly wore day-to-day, and formal black shoes he previously wore in court. Above the shoulders, he had the same green cloak as the boys, but his came with a hood attached... a hood that was very rapidly falling backwards to expose his carefully-hidden spikes. "Um, I think the pin in my cape broke." As if to prove it, he removed his hands from the green folds to reveal two halves of a safety pin, the wire opposite from the pointy side snapped right down the middle. The cloak hanging off his shoulders promptly dropped to the floor, attracting Phoenix's baleful gaze. "That's not good."

Ryder frowned in sympathy. "Talk about bad luck. Don't worry, we have some spare safety pins you can use." He pushed off the wall, turning to Noah with a smile. "Hey Noah, wanna go tell Isabella we'll be ready to go in a minute?"

Noah grinned. "Okay, Ryder!" Giggling, the five-year-old bolted out the door and up the stairs.

Kerensa patted up and down her costume before shrugging sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm normally the one with the spare pins, but..."

Ryder chuckled. "You're fine, 'Ren. We've got a few ourselves." He turned and left.

Phoenix sighed. A faint red filled his cheeks as he leaned down to pick up the dropped cloak, and he was quick to place the broken halves of the pin on the coffee table. "Maybe you just made mine too heavy for a safety pin to handle, Trucy." He lowered himself into the empty lounge chair, either unaware or simply not caring about Kerensa's coat underneath him.

The nine-year-old huffed and stomped over to join him. "I _didn't_ , Daddy! That was just a bad pin!" She crossed her arms, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. "Maybe, if a safety pin doesn't work," she gave Phoenix a bright grin, "we could use a _danger_ pin instead!"

Luke snorted. "There's no such thing as a 'danger pin', Trucy."

"Technically, any pin's a danger if you stick it in your eye," Apollo pointed out.

"A very good point." Kerensa moved to retrieve the pieces of the broken pin from the table. "In fact, I'm going to go dispose of this _dangerous pin's_ remains somewhere else before Noah or Isabella decide to test that theory." She quickly followed her father out of the room.

Trucy huffed, though she made no effort to hide her grin. "Now look what you did, Polly: You've gone and made Kerensa take away our danger pin."

Apollo smirked. "Aw, you're driving a danger pin through my heart here."

Trucy giggled, then turned and grabbed the corners of Phoenix's cloak. After some awkwardness pulling off her white mittens and climbing into Phoenix's lap, she flapped the green cloth and had the item back in its place over her father's shoulders. "There we go, Daddy. Now we just need to pin it back up."

Phoenix smiled uncomfortably, pulling the hood over his hair with a spare hand. "Maybe... if it's in danger of falling off... I should wear that hat you made me underneath. Just in case."

Clay perked up from the couch. "Why do that, Mister Wright? Won't it ruin the costume?"

Phoenix's lips pressed together, and his hand clung tighter to the top of his head, effectively hiding his hair from view. "I, uh... don't think it will, Clay."

"Really?" Clay swept a disbelieving look across the three Wright children, who were all studiously avoiding his gaze. "Um, okay, whatever." He jumped to his feet, running his own hands through his mop of inky black hair. The action seemed to remind him of his missing visor, which he had removed with extreme reluctance earlier that night. "Actually, I don't think I've seen you without that hat on before now, Mister Wright. Outside of that time 'Pollo dragged me to court with him, I mean."

Apollo couldn't help a smirk. "Yeah, me too." He turned to Phoenix. "So is that why you love that thing so much, Dad? Because Truce here made it?"

Phoenix managed a small smile in reply.

Luke frowned. "But if Trucy made it, why does it say 'Papa' and not 'Daddy'?"

Trucy shrugged. "I found the pattern online. 'Papa' was the closest I could get." She fiddled with her grip on Phoenix's cloak, still holding it tight around his shoulders. "I'd never made a beanie before, so I didn't want to change anything in case I messed it up... and I didn't want to take too long, because it was supposed to be a thank you gift for adopting me." The girl turned her attention to Phoenix's face, and frowned. "Where _is_ your mask, Daddy? We're about to leave!"

Phoenix softly laughed. "Ah, I left it with the other props in our bag. Didn't want to put it on until we were about to leave, and," he gestured to the girl's hands where they clung to his chest, "I'm a bit tied down right now."

Luke giggled and, as the closest to where the item had been left, grabbed the black duffel bag from the floor. "Then let's get ready to go!"


	53. Trick or Treat

October 31, 4:57PM  
Bonney Family Home  
Living Room

 

It took only a minute for Luke to hand out Trucy's carefully crafted props, ducking in and around the Bonney family as they all filed back into the room. Phoenix's broken pin was replaced, allowing Trucy to finally vacate his lap and put her rabbit-paw mittens back on her hands. As for her props, they were individual to their bearers and put together as cheaply and quickly as their nine-year-old maker could possibly manage: Phoenix's was a cartoonishly-proportioned sword made out of multiple layers of cardboard held together with copious amounts of glue and sticky tape; Luke's was a 'crown' of twigs made to rest on top of his head, so that the base they were all glued to wasn't so visible; Apollo's was a toy wand, made of hollow plastic and thus fragile. Trucy had no prop for herself, unless one counted her bunny ears headband or the white and black face paint she'd used to cover her cheeks and nose respectively. Clay was the most impressed of them all when presented with what had been scrounged up for him to use that night: a black violin case.

"Are you _serious_!?" The teen took the object with no small amount of awe, jaw hanging open. He wasted no time flipping the clips holding it closed, opening the lid just enough to peek in. One gasp later, and he was closing it again, wide eyes turned to Trucy. "Where'd you get a _real, actual violin_!?"

"It's mine, actually." Luke shrugged sheepishly. "I almost forgot I had it in all the chaos of moving here."

Clay blinked, looking back to the violin. "Huh. Didn't know you were musical."

"Neither did we." Apollo smirked, gently elbowing his friend.

Trucy grinned and nodded. "Yeah, Luke just pulled it out of his suitcase last week! Isn't it cool?"

"Well, I couldn't play it when my arm was in a cast." Luke returned his attention to Clay with a stern glare, placing his hands protectively on the case, moments away from taking the object back. "Be very careful with it. My mum and dad gave that violin to me, and I can't afford to repair it anymore if it breaks."

Clay stared a moment, then gave his friend a single solemn nod. "Sure. I'll be careful with it." He grinned. "You can trust me, dude."

Luke's sigh was so small, it was easy to miss. He released the violin, returning his hands to his sides. "Thank you."

On the other side of the room, the Bonneys were equally busy pulling the last of their children's costumes together. Noah was still in his robot get-up, clinging to a small plastic pumpkin and bouncing eagerly as Ryder attempted to adjust a cardboard robot head on top of the boy's own. Isabella, by contrast, stood in a corner hiding underneath her tricorne hat. The seven-year-old girl was clad in a black coat, a flimsy plastic cutlass tied to her belt and an equally flimsy hook clutched tightly in her hand. The only person she seemed willing to edge close to at the moment was Kerensa, who was tugging her fabric mask over her head to complete her 'ninja' get-up. Despite her glasses, and the noticeable bulge of her hair, Kerensa seemed quite proud of the result.

Willow looked over the group with a grin, her hands on her hips. "Everyone ready to go?"

Her answer came in the form of a resounding cheer.

 

Once they were out the door, Trucy grabbed Luke's hand and tugged him down towards the road. "C'mon, I'll show you what to do!"

Apollo rolled his eyes behind them. "It's not that hard to figure out, Truce."

Luke decided to ignore his brother, and gave their sister a smile. "Thank you very much, Trucy. I really appreciate your help."

Trucy beamed, and clung tighter to Luke's hand.

As she knew the area best, Kerensa took the lead, Isabella pressed to her side. Noah skipped nearby, drifting in circles around the young woman, but never strayed too far from his assigned guardian. Trucy and Luke walked behind, though the girl rushed them ahead with Noah as Kerensa directed the group towards their first house. Apollo and Clay hung back at a more sedate pace with Phoenix, the latter of whom had only accompanied them on the insistence of his daughter; While Kerensa took the younger kids down the path across the lawn, Phoenix and the two elder boys hung back on the street.

Noah was the first to the door, and didn't wait to bang a fist against the wood. Luckily, the others had caught up by the time the door began to move, and Noah and Trucy both eagerly screamed "Trick or treat!" while Isabella pressed tighter to Kerensa. Luke struggled not to wince at the proximity of the shout to his ears.

The man who had answered the door laughed, tucking a large bowl under one arm. "Ah, what an imaginative display of costumes we have here!" He gestured between the three younger children. "A pirate, a robot, and a bunny!"

"And Luke's a druid!" Trucy proudly pointed out her brother, pulling him closer. "It's his first Halloween, you know!"

"Oh, really?"

Luke nodded, blushing. "I just moved here a couple of months ago. From England."

The man grinned and shifted his bowl into his hands. "Well, welcome to America! Here you go, kids." He held out the bowl.

Noah cheered and instantly grabbed as many of the tiny wrapped chocolate bars and other miscellaneous sweets as he could fit in his small hands, depositing them quickly into his pumpkin-shaped basket. Isabella and Trucy were more modest in their selections, with even shy Isabella cracking a happy smile. Luke waited for the two girls to be done before he also reached to take his share, putting as much as he dared into the pumpkin basket the Bonneys had given him.

Trucy turned to beckon to the trio on the road. "Polly! Clay! Don't you want candy?"

Apollo quickly shook his head, his own pumpkin basket hidden behind his back. "We're fine, Truce."

"But we won't say no if it's on offer," Clay added with a grin.

Apollo shot his friend a glare.

The man shrugged and held out his bowl. "We've still got plenty. Help yourselves."

Clay whooped and ran to the door, happily taking a handful. "Thanks! Everyone says we're too old for trick-or-treating now, but I don't get why you'd ever give it up."

"Because most people our age can buy their own?" After gently shoving Clay aside, Apollo nodded gratefully to the man and grabbed some of the offered sweets for himself. "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome." Once the children had taken what they wanted, the man replaced his bowl on a table inside, then gave the kids one last smile. "Have a good night. Especially you, little man. Enjoy your first Halloween." He winked at the bashful Luke, then closed the door.

"He was nice, wasn't he?" Kerensa giggled, then guided her charges back to the road to where Phoenix waited. "C'mon, next house!"

Clay cackled as he examined the new 'stash' in his basket. "And they said no-one will give you candy once you're a teenager!"

Apollo rolled his eyes. Ignoring his friend, he moved to Trucy's side, opposite where she was still clinging tightly to Luke's hand. "Hey Truce, before just calling us over for candy..." He cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. "Could you, um, maybe ask if it's okay for us to take some first? Not everyone's gonna be as happy about it as that guy was."

Trucy wrinkled her nose. "Why? You're trick-or-treating! You were supposed to be with us already!"

"Because only _kids_ go trick-or-treating, and teenagers aren't _kids_ anymore," Apollo hissed as quietly as he could, shooting wary glances to Phoenix and Kerensa ahead of them. "It may be stupid, but that's what a lot of people think, and they won't necessarily be thrilled to give anything to me or Clay."

Trucy bit her lip, musing on his words.

Luke frowned. "But I'm a teenager too. Wouldn't they turn me away as well?"

Apollo almost smirked. "You can get away with it. You still pass for a kid, and even if they could tell how old you are, knowing this is your first Halloween would give you a lot of leeway." He pointed to their sister's tight grip on Luke's hand. "Plus, Trucy's clearly got a death-grip on you. Who's gonna tell a little girl the boy she's dragging around with her can't have candy?"

Trucy instantly perked up with a wide grin. "I'm cute enough for the both of us! Professional magicians _have_ to be!"

The two brothers laughed in unspoken agreement.

 

The night progressed in much the same way: Kerensa led the kids to a house, the younger four collected their 'treat' while telling the person handing it out how this was Luke's first Halloween, then Trucy put on the sweetest smile she could to ask if her brother and his friend could have some too. Most people they encountered were unable to say no, allowing Apollo and Clay to acquire quite a collection of sweets for themselves. In contrast to his siblings and friend, Apollo was rather frugal with what he took, ending the evening with by far the least full basket, while Trucy and Luke were tied at the most and Clay was somewhere in the middle. As for the Bonneys' children, Noah had been so busy eating his as they walked, it was hard to tell by the end where he stood in the 'race', and Isabella hugged her basket so protectively, no one dared get close enough to see inside for fear of potentially upsetting her.

The sun had just disappeared below the horizon by the time the group returned to the Bonneys' house, and the younger members of the group fell quiet as the exhaustion of the evening's events caught up to them. Once the Wright siblings and Clay had compared their baskets, Luke began idly munching on his 'prize', starting with the loose gummies that lacked wrappers. Trucy had drifted to Apollo, clinging to his arm as her eyes lazily blinked at the path in front of them.

Ryder greeted them at the door, waving everybody through. "Ah, you're back! Everyone have fun?"

Kerensa laughed as she pulled off her mask, and guided Noah and Isabella into the house with a gentle grip on their shoulders. "Did you think we wouldn't?"

"Is it even _possible_ not to?" Clay snorted as he dashed in after her.

"Mm, maybe, maybe." Ryder shot a grin at the Wrights. "I imagine you're all ready to head home now, huh?"

Phoenix patted his sons' heads, letting them and Trucy go in ahead. "I'd say so. It was a very busy evening." His fond smile faded to a more concerned look. "Are you sure you're happy to give us a ride?"

Ryder snorted. "We wouldn't have offered if we weren't." He waved the other man in. "Come on, we'll get you all moving so the kids can crash."

Goodbyes for the Bonneys were very subdued, with the children as exhausted as they were. The time passed in a blur, and, before Luke knew it, he, his siblings and Clay were all bundled together in the back of Willow's car, on their way across town and back home.

 

[View Luke's Notebook](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/170148722569/tumblr_p35wr6yVj91uwes7q)


	54. The Morning After

November 1, 6:56AM  
Wright Talent Agency  
Luke and Apollo's Room

 

Luke couldn't quite remember the details of the trip back home, nor of saying goodbye to Willow and going upstairs. He knew they'd spent a quiet ten minutes at the table with some sandwiches for dinner, but he was much less sure about the regular nightly ritual of brushing teeth and showering before getting changed into pyjamas. All he was aware of was the growing pain in his stomach as he picked at his food, trudged up the stairs, and finally fell into bed.

Bright light assaulted Luke's eyeballs, tinged red by his eyelids in its path. It simultaneously felt like both an instant and an eternity since Luke had fallen into bed, but the contradictory fact was difficult to register around the instinctual wince as he threw his arms up over his face. Any thoughts running through his brain were muted by the intense sensation of how much his stomach still hurt.

"Wakey wakey, boys," came Phoenix's cheerful voice. "Time to get ready for school."

Apollo loudly groaned, accompanied by the sound of his sheets being thrown off.

"Don't give me that, we agreed you'd be going straight back in the morning."

Clay snorted, the much thicker sound of his sleeping bag indicating his own movements to get up. "I'll make sure they get dressed, Mister Wright."

The door closed with a thud and a click, and Luke listened to the sound of his brother and friend moving about the room. A hand patted his leg through his sheets, followed by Apollo's voice: "Luke, c'mon. We have to get up."

Clay sighed, his footsteps heading away. "I'll go get dressed in the bathroom. Be back in a sec." A moment later, the door opened and closed again, marking his exit.

Luke finally decided to brave the light, moving his arms down to grip the top of his sheets. The brightness wasn't as painful now, but it was still hard to keep his eyes open. Not even rubbing his eyelids seemed to help, especially as moving only made the pain in his stomach worse, bad enough that Luke couldn't hide a small groan.

"Luke? You okay?"

Luke squinted upwards to see Apollo's concerned face looking down at him. With another groan, Luke cradled one hand against his stomach, shook his head, then closed his eyes again.

Apollo's feet shuffled against the carpet for a moment. "Right... Stay here. I'll go get Dad."

 

Phoenix regarded the orange plastic jack-o-lantern with a raised eyebrow, brushing his fingers through the endless empty wrappers within in a fruitless search for any sign of what they had once contained. Finally, he sighed and placed the basket back on the bedside table where he had found it. "Well, there's what's wrong with you. We did tell you not to eat all of it at once."

Luke groaned, curling up tighter under his blankets. "'M sorry, Nick..."

Phoenix resisted the urge to reply 'you should be', instead taking a seat on the bed by Luke's ankles. "Well, as long as you take this as a learning experience and don't do it again..."

The teen nodded. With such a miserable look on his face, it would be difficult not to believe him.

Apollo barely resisted pacing next to his bed, still clutching the school uniform he had yet to change into. The glances he kept throwing towards his younger brother made it obvious what was on his mind. "So...?"

"He will be just fine, with a little rest and a chance to get some of that sugar out of his system." Phoenix patted Luke's leg through the covers, eyeing the younger boy. "Do you think you'll need a bucket? Or maybe a glass of water? I usually find sipping something helps with nausea."

Luke frowned, taking his time to think it over.

Phoenix resisted the urge to laugh. "It's not a puzzle, Luke, just a question."

"Y-yeah." Luke gulped, looking sheepish. "Um, a glass of water would be fine, thank you."

"I'll be right back, then." Phoenix got to his feet.

A clatter in the hall marked the arrival of Clay, who fell into the room with a boisterous laugh, juggling his over-filled bag as he finished stuffing his nightclothes in behind the zipper. "Yo, are you two-? Oh." He paused at the sight of Phoenix in the room, but was quick to cover his shock with his usual disarming grin. "Hey, Mister Wright. Something happen?"

Before Phoenix could reply, Apollo was jumping forward with a cry of "Luke's sick!"

"Wait, really?" Clay dropped his bag and dashed across the room to look over his bedridden younger friend. "You seemed fine last night, dude."

Luke managed a weak smile. "Don't worry. I just ate too much."

Clay snorted. "Dude, we _told_ you this would happen if you did that. Listen to us next time, huh?"

Luke blushed, pulling his blankets tighter around his cocoon.

Hiding a wry smirk, Phoenix waved his elder son to the door. "Why don't you go get dressed, Apollo? You're still going to school today, after all."

"R-right..." Although Apollo still shot his brother worried looks, he hugged his clothes to his chest and ran off.

"I'll be back up with that glass of water." Phoenix gave Luke a reassuring smile, then left the room. Behind him, he could hear Clay continue to gentle mock the younger teen for the situation they found him in. He made a mental note to check the ribbing was truly as light-hearted as it seemed when he returned.

 

It would have been funny if Phoenix didn't completely understand Apollo's concern for his younger brother's health. The teen's brow was lined with worry from the moment he called for their father's help, and he was noticeably quiet as he and Clay ate their meagre breakfast. The half-hour they had before they had to leave passed all too quickly.

Clay grabbed his school bag and swung it over his shoulder. "Thanks for hosting me tonight, Mister Wright. I had a lot of fun."

Phoenix gave the boy a smile. "It was a pleasure." He turned to Apollo, who was holding his backpack with a thoughtful expression. "Did you want me to walk you to the bus stop?"

Instantly, Apollo was firmly shaking his head. "No way. Someone needs to stay with Luke, just in case."

Clay raised an eyebrow. "'Just in case' what, dude?"

Apollo bit his lip and shrugged. "Just in case."

Clay snorted and turned away, pressing a hand to his mouth.

Phoenix hid a smirk. "Apollo, Luke will be just fine on his own. Besides, I'll have to leave later anyway to get Trucy to school."

Apollo paled. "How long does that take?"

Clay started visibly shaking. He kept his back firmly to his friend.

"About an hour." Phoenix pressed his lips together to hide a grin, trying to remain polite. "Luke will be fine. He just ate too much, he's not dying."

Clay was finding it very hard to hide his giggles now. Apollo shot his friend a glare.

Phoenix found it much easier to keep calm, reminding his son, "You're going to be right back here again this evening, remember? You can check on him then."

Apollo considered his father's words a moment, then meekly nodded. "Do you want me to tell the teachers he's staying home?"

Phoenix shrugged. "If you want. I was planning to call the school later, anyway."

Apollo didn't reply for a long moment. Finally, he dropped his bag and ran for the stairs.

Clay and Phoenix both shot him confused looks, but it was the former who got the words out first: "Wait, dude, what about school!?"

"I'm coming back!" Apollo shouted over the sound of his own feet disappearing into the upper floor. "I'm just saying goodbye to Luke!"

Clay rolled his eyes. Phoenix couldn't help a laugh.

 

Much like their elder brother, Trucy worried about Luke when she heard he was staying home and insisted on checking on him herself immediately. Luke groggily wished her a good morning, then dozed off almost instantly, and he was still asleep when she insisted on seeing him again before they left. Trucy bid her brother get better with a soft kiss to his forehead - "Mommy always did that to me when I was sick," she told their father - and the sight nearly brought Phoenix to tears with just how _cute_ it was. He was glad Trucy had skipped back to the door before noticing the expression on his face, which gave him a chance to wipe his eyes and retain what little was left of his dignity.

With Trucy safely at school, Phoenix returned to the apartment later that morning and made a careful beeline for the second bedroom upstairs. The still atmosphere stuck in his ears, prompting Phoenix keep his footfalls soft as he crept across the carpet, unwilling to break it so easily. Aside from the creak of the floorboards, he couldn't hear any sounds from the apartment at all. He tried not to worry though, and slowly pushed open the door to the bedroom belonging to his middle child.

Luke was wiping his eyes as he came into view, still lying under the blanket on his bed. Needless to say, he looked much more awake now as he directed a weak smile towards his father.

Phoenix hid a chuckle, stepping into the room. "Feeling any better?"

The smile died almost as quickly as it had appeared, and Luke's attention drifted to the bundle of blanket pressed to his chin. "I... suppose."

It didn't take long for Phoenix to realise Luke was referring to more than just his stomach. He crossed the room and settled on Luke's bed, keeping a concerned gaze on the boy's face. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Luke's eyes shone with unshed tears, and he pulled a hand out from under the sheets to rub at his nose (badly hiding a loud sniff in the process). "I... I'm fine."

"Now now." Phoenix patted the lump of blanket that hid Luke's legs. "You and Apollo have been in this family long enough by now that we know what you really mean when you say that."

Luke blushed, and curled up tighter in his blankets. He made no move to speak.

When the teen didn't reply, Phoenix internally sighed and moved his hand back to his lap. "If you don't want to talk about it, I won't push you." He got to his feet.

"Wait!"

Phoenix paused, looking back to see Luke had sat up, now looking rather sheepish as he clung to his blankets.

"U-um, I mean... I was just..."

Phoenix smiled and sat back down. "Yes?"

Luke sighed, fiddling with the sheets clutched tightly in his fingers. "I was... dreaming about my mum and dad."

"Oh." Phoenix winced sympathetically, rubbing the lump in the blankets where Luke's legs were. "I'm sorry."

"I'm fine." Luke rubbed his eyes with a sleeve, staring at his lap. "When I was little, and I got sick, Mum used to sit in my room with me until I got better. When she was... _away_... I got sick one time and... and Dad tried to look after me, but he was so busy, and Mum was gone, and e-everyone was saying she had walked out on us, a-and..." He curled up where he sat, palms pressed to his eyes.

Phoenix had no idea what Luke was talking about, but he didn't think that really mattered. He shifted a little closer, wanting to comfort the boy, but Luke was talking again before he could find the words.

"A-after that... Mum always loved travelling, but after that, she didn't like being in one place too long, so she was away a lot more often... and I was away with the Professor a lot, too. I-if I got sick, I was usually on my own, because Dad and the Professor had to work." Luke shook his head, firmly crossing his arms and revealing the red eyes he'd attempted to hide. "It wasn't their fault. I didn't want to bother them, so I told them I was grown up now, and fine on my own... but I really missed how things used to be, in Misthallery. With Mum." He sniffed, and visible tears gathered in his eyes that he made no effort to wipe away. "And now I'm even missing _that_. What's wrong with me!?"

"Nothing's wrong with you." Phoenix moved the final short distance to Luke's side and pulled the boy into a hug. "You miss your parents, and that's completely understandable. You love them an awful lot, and it will always hurt that we don't know where they are."

Luke's body began to shake, and he clung to Phoenix's hoodie for dear life. "B-but... But I _mustn't_ love them... b-because I'm not searching for them!"

"What!?" Phoenix pulled away, and fixed the sobbing teen with a stern look. "Luke, just because you aren't searching for them _right this minute_ -"

"But we're n-not, are we?" Luke avoided meeting Phoenix's eyes, wiping his own with a sleeve. "We went up to F-Forest Road a _month_ ago, a-and we haven't done anything, or heard anything since! I-I'm just..." He squeaked as his sobs intensified, and once more buried his face in his hands. "I'm just doing homework and playing with Trucy and going places with Apollo and Clay and... and _having fun_ like nothing is wrong! Like Mum and Dad aren't almost certainly in terrible danger somewhere, o-or _dead_ , and need me to find them!"

Phoenix resisted a sigh as he pulled the boy into another hug. "Luke... I can sympathise. Honestly, I can." He rested a hand on the back of Luke's head, a part of him hoping it would help protect his younger son from further pain. "Losing my badge nearly killed me, and I haven't gotten anywhere in my own search for answers... But, if there's one thing I've learned in the six months since, it's that you can't let your life just _stop_. You have to keep moving, and you have to stay alive, because no-one else is going to find the truth of what happened like you can. And you can't let yourself believe otherwise." Luke's sobbing was starting to calm as he listened to Phoenix's words, so father pressed his face to son's hair in a brief kiss. "In your case, staying alive and moving means keeping up with school, and having all that much-needed time off with your siblings and friends. We don't have any new leads right now, and that's frustrating, so all we can do is keep our eyes out for news and be careful not to dwell on it. We're in this for the long haul, after all, and we're only human: We need happy times too, or we'll never get anywhere."

Luke had stopped shaking by now, though he still sniffed every so often. He stayed pressed against Phoenix's chest, hands clutching his father's hoodie. He didn't seem to have any intention of moving just yet.

Phoenix moved his hand down to pat Luke's back, giving the teen an opening to pull away if he needed to. "Don't forget, I'm always here for you if you need anything, even if its just a sounding board to talk at. I want to help however I possibly can."

Luke nodded. He didn't seem able to talk for a few moments, taking a shuddering breath before pressing tighter to Phoenix's chest. "Thank you, Nick."

 

[View the Court Record](https://wrightfamilyagency.tumblr.com/private/170184762839/tumblr_p37r0aEqR71uwes7q)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, so very very much. I'm sorry to have to end it here, but hopefully the continuing adventures of the adult Wright children will make up for that, once I have enough of it to show off. :) Thanks again, everyone.


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